The Pact
by StarGleekBelle
Summary: In a world where the supernatural are in control, humans must learn to accept it or suffer the consequences. Not all are evil. Not all strive for power. But those who do will go to great lengths to ensure their place on the throne.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hello my lovely darlings. :)

Here's the deal; yes, I have started a new fic but I don't exactly know where everything is going just yet. I literally wrote this today so I have no other chapters to post. I plan on waiting a while to post again but I wanted to share this and see if any of you were interested in me continuing. The main reason I've started this is because I need something to write when _A Lucky Man's Charm_ isn't flowing and this idea didn't want to leave my head. So I guess we'll see where this goes.

Thank you GleekMom for betaing.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the imagination behind this plot.

* * *

Kurt ran faster than he ever had before and still he could clearly hear the taunts behind him. They were getting close. He didn't know what came over him, going off on David Karofsky in front of everyone. Just because he had been chosen to be a Guardian didn't mean he was suddenly strong enough to take on his bullies. Yet somehow he thought his new title would save him from the torment. His ridicule doubled however. He spent his entire last day of school scowling at the kids who had made no effort to whisper their shock. _He's going to be a Guardian?_ They all asked. _He's so scrawny and weak. The Academy must be desperate._ Kurt hated them all. He couldn't wait until he was transferred to the Academy. At least there he would be with like-minded people and away from David.

"You're gonna have to run faster than that, Hummel!"

Kurt picked up his pace at the sound of his bullies harsh laughter. He turned a corner onto a street he didn't know and kept running. An old treehouse came into his sight at the end of the street and he bolted for it. The taunting voices started to fade away so he glanced behind him and allowed himself to feel the smallest bit of relief when he saw no one. He didn't stop running though. He kept going towards the treehouse and quickly climbed up the second he reached the steps. The treehouse was higher up than Kurt initially thought, much higher, and for a fleeting moment he was certain that David's meaty hands would grab him and pull him down. David never came though and he pushed open the pine wood door. He tumbled inside, kicked the door shut, and crawled into the nearest corner. He pulled his knees up and let out a shaky breath, completely unaware of the teenage boy sitting in the opposite corner.

He hated this, hated that he was so fast to open his mouth and yet couldn't defend himself physically. The students at his school were right. _The Academy must be desperate to choose an outcast like me. _He thought woefully. _There's no way I'm going to survive the Academy's physical courses. I'm getting away from Karofsky, but I'll probably just be the Academy's newest nerd to push around_. He closed his eyes and rested his head on his arms, holding back the tears as best he could. His mother was a great Guardian, one of the best he was often told, and he often felt unworthy of her. _How am I ever going to live up to her skills? I should've been named a grub like Dad. _

"Hey kid, you ok?" Kurt jumped to his feet quickly, nearly hitting his head on the ceiling, his eyes wide with alert.

"Who are you?" Kurt squeaked, wiping the tears away quickly. "What do you want?"

"My name's Blaine," Blaine answered with a smirk and stood up from his pillowed seat. "And you're in my treehouse so the better question is, who are you?"

Kurt stiffened as Blaine walked over to him, unable to believe that he hadn't noticed the teenage boy sitting a few feet away. Guardians were excellent observers, always aware of their surroundings and Kurt could have easily just walked into a trap. He was certain he was going to make an awful Guardian. Blaine stopped a foot away from him and he could do nothing but stare at the boy. He was taller than Kurt and obviously older but he seemed nice, at least nicer than David and his goons, but Kurt knew all too well that looks could be deceiving. Still, he would have to be blind not to notice the beautiful hazel eyes and the strong muscles underneath a tight black polo. He gasped softly when he saw the Academy's emblem on Blaine's shirt. "You're a Guardian," he whispered in awe. He'd never met an active Guardian, only retired ones that had been friends with his mother.

"I am," Blaine replied with a nod even though he technically wasn't. He still had one more year of training before taking his Guardianship vow. "That doesn't answer my question though."

Kurt gulped and stood straighter. "Kurt. My name's Kurt."

Blaine extended his hand. Kurt took it hesitantly. "It's nice to meet you, Kurt. Any particular reason as to why you're hiding in my treehouse?"

The sound of David's voice hollering out for him made Kurt pull his hand back sharply. He looked around frantic. He was stuck. "I'm sorry. Please don't tell them I'm up here."

Blaine could clearly hear the alarm in Kurt's voice. He backed away and turned to the window to see five boys heading their way.

"I bet he's in there!" Azimio shouted and pointed to the treehouse.

Blaine turned to Kurt, his eyes glowing a brilliant amber. "Stay here," he instructed and snuck out of one of the back windows.

Kurt stayed in his spot for only a moment before cautiously peering out the front window. He looked down just in time to see Blaine confront his bullies.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Blaine said cordially though his arms were crossed defensively.

David turned away from the steps that led up to the treehouse and grunted at Blaine. "We're looking for a faggy little nerd. Have you seen him?"

Blaine gritted his teeth. The overgrown boy reminded him entirely too much of his old bullies. "Can't say that I have."

"I'm telling you he's up there," Azimio insisted. "Forget this fool and go get him!"

"I can assure you there is no nerd up there," Blaine said as David started to turn around. "That's also my treehouse and I don't take kindly to uninvited guests."

David turned a snarl at Blaine. He took a menacing step forward but Noah Puckerman pulled him back. "Dude, don't be stupid! Look at his shirt, he's a Guardian!"

Blaine smirked at the boys who suddenly lost their will to fight and stepped directly in front of David. "Listen to your friends and walk away."

David stared him down, the older boy towering over him by only a couple of inches, and backed away. "Come on guys. We'll get that fag later."

Relief coursed through Kurt as the group of boys walked away. He watched Blaine stand guard for a few minutes before making his way up the steps. Kurt returned to his corner, a sense of shyness quickly filling his heart now that the fear was gone. Blaine poked his head inside but didn't fully enter.

"They're gone."

Kurt nodded. "Thanks. You didn't have to do that."

Blaine half shrugged. "I had bullies once upon a time too." Kurt played with the seam of his shirt but said nothing. "I gotta head back to the Academy. Where do you live? Do you need a ride?"

Kurt shook his head. "I'm ok. Thank you though."

"Are you sure?" Blaine asked. "I don't mind. And honestly, what are the chances of those guys finding you on your way home?"

Fear flashed over Kurt's eyes and for a moment, his eyes glowed faintly. Blaine tilted his head curiously. He wondered if Kurt knew he was meant to be a Guardian yet. "I guess, maybe a ride isn't a bad idea."

Blaine nodded at him. "Come on," he said and dropped down without using the steps.

* * *

The drive to Kurt's house was filled with silence with the exception of his instructions. He hadn't realized how far he had run from the group of boys and was extremely grateful for the ride home. They would have surely found him had he attempted to walk.

Blaine had the radio on low and hummed quietly to the songs that came on. Kurt couldn't help but sneak glances at him. Blaine was beautiful, probably the most beautiful boy Kurt had ever seen, and Kurt was in awe of him. Maybe it was because he saw the way Blaine's eyes glowed before coming to his rescue, or maybe it was the gentle yet strong smile Blaine sent his way. But there was powerful aura surrounding him that made Kurt want to share all his secrets.

Blaine could sense Kurt watching him but he kept his eyes on the road, not wanting to embarrass Kurt any further than he probably was. "How old are you?" Blaine asked him conversationally.

Kurt looked down at his hands before answering. "I'm 13. How old are you?"

"17," Blaine answered easily.

"Oh," Kurt's brows went up, looking at Blaine and catching his eyes. "So, are you not a Guardian yet?"

Blaine smirked. "Technically, no, not yet. I have one more year to go."

"Cool," Kurt said and turned away. He couldn't stare at Blaine too long. It was like staring at the sun. "Take a left at this stop. I live at the end of this street. 2745."

Blaine turned onto Kurt's street. "When's your last day of school, Kurt?"

"It was today."

"So, you know?" Blaine asked. Kurt turned to him for clarification. "They came and tested your class last week right?" Kurt nodded. "Then you know you're one of us?"

Kurt's jaw went wide. "I…yeah. They called my dad yesterday. How did you know?"

"There was a moment back there where your eyes glowed a bit," Blaine told him.

Kurt's eyes grew with excitement. "Seriously?" he asked as Blaine pulled up to the curb. "I was so scared the Academy made a mistake choosing me."

Blaine shook his head. "They never make mistakes."

There was a bitterness in Blaine's tone that Kurt didn't miss. "Well um, thanks for giving me a ride. And for saving me back there."

"No problem," Blaine smiled a little. "I'll see around school next year."

Kurt smiled back. "Yeah, I guess you will. Bye, Blaine."

Blaine waved as Kurt exited his car. "Oh, Kurt," he called through the window. Kurt turned to look at him. "I'm leaving for the summer Monday morning. I won't be back until the week before classes start again. You can hide out at my treehouse if you ever need to. The door locks from the inside and I doubt any of those morons could climb that high."

Kurt blushed a little. "Thanks. I promise I won't mess with any of you stuff or anything." Blaine nodded. "Bye. Have a fun summer."

_Fun?_ Blaine thought. _That's the last thing this summer will be._

* * *

Early Monday morning, Blaine made his way up to his treehouse to make sure it didn't hide anything he wouldn't want a 13 year old boy accidently stumbling on. When he reached the top of the steps, he found a container of cookies and a note.

_Dear Blaine,_

_I know I said thank you already but words never seem enough. Actions are always louder. So here are some cookies I made for you. I hope you like chocolate chip. Have a great summer._

_Kurt_

Blaine smiled a little and dropped down from the steps. His eyes glowed as he focused on his surroundings and found Kurt a block away on his bicycle. Kurt seemed like a nice kid. He hoped the Academy wouldn't take that away from him. Most of all, he hoped he survived his summer.

* * *

A/N: What did ya think? Let me know. :)


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hello darlings. Thank you all for the interest in this story. It's still not complete and I won't be posting another chapter for a while but I wanted to give you one more look into what I'm creating. I hope you like it.

Thanks GleekMom for being such an amazing human.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination.

* * *

Kurt fought with himself the entire weekend about whether or not he should bake cookies for Blaine. He didn't want to weird the teen out after he had been so kind to him. But his mother had taught him that actions spoke louder than words and after an hour's time of pacing in the kitchen on Sunday afternoon, Kurt brought out the flour and chocolate chips.

It wasn't until two weeks after Blaine left that Kurt finally went back to the treehouse. He hadn't seen Karofsky or any of the other football players so there was no real need to go back. But he was drawn there anyway, undeniably curious about the boy, the Guardian, that had come to his rescue. And besides, he really wanted to know if Blaine had liked his cookies.

Cautiously, Kurt entered the treehouse and found his empty container on top of a stack of books. Underneath it was a folded up piece of paper addressed to him. Practically shaking with nerves, Kurt picked up the note to read.

_Dear Kurt,_

_Thank you for the cookies. They were awesome! Chocolate chip are my favorite. _

_You're right though, actions do speak louder words and I felt the need to return your kindness. Here are a few books from my first year at the Academy. Feel free to browse through them if you ever find yourself asking questions that no one but a Guardian could answer. I hope you have a good summer. _

_Blaine_

Kurt couldn't help but blush a little at Blaine's note. He folded it up, slipped it into his pocket, and grabbed the books Blaine left for him to study.

He spent most of the rest of his summer spread out on the floor of the treehouse pouring himself into the books. The first one he read held the history of their current society. Kurt knew a little about how their way of life came to be but reading the specifics was much more fascinating than he thought.

_In the early 1500s, a gateway into the underworld__had mysteriously opened, plaguing their world with demons of all kinds. Those with supernatural abilities came out of hiding and, with the humans, fought against the evil. In the end, the humans and supernatural beings defeated the demons and closed the portal but not without many casualties and sacrifices. Those who survived had created a pact that was meant to keep them all safe from the evil that still lurked in the shadows. _

_Their world consisted of three factions; the Royals, the Guardians, and the grubs. The Royals were__made up of three supernatural families; the sorcerers, the werewolves, and the vampires. Together they governed the Supernatural Alliance Association. The Guardians were superhuman beings. While they were human in nature, they were able to get in touch with their spirit and harness special abilities. Average human beings were called grubs. They worked day to day to support their families and live under the Royals' regulations. Each country had a King and Queen of their own and a grub representative. The Royals, however, controlled more than sixty percent of the world's politics. _

Grub society was taught that Guardians were trained in combat and were only meant to protect the royal families to whom they were assigned. But as Kurt read the books that Blaine had left for him, he learned how much more there truly was to it. Guardians were so much more than brute strength and skilled fighters. They were more than guards for the royals. Guardians kept the peace between the supernatural beings and the humans. They were the link that closed the gap between human and supernatural.

_Not long after the war, a man by the name of Greggory Anderson was the first to discover his abilities. Greggory was born an average human and fought alongside the supernatural during the war. But once the war had been won, the tension between supernatural and human heightened greatly. Anderson, alongside two other families, learned of their abilities through random actions. Greggory for example, was cutting firewood when he felt himself suddenly become more focused. According to his wife, his entire body emanated a glow and his movements sped up so significantly that she could barely make out his actions. His task, which should've taken at least an hour, was completed within minutes. Without any indication of how, the founding Guardian family members, Anderson, Pierce, and Montgomery, were suddenly faster, smarter, stronger, and had an extraordinary need to protect those around them. _

_The founding Guardian families heard rumors of another war happening. This war, however, was among its own people. Humans feared the supernatural beings and began talk of destroying them whatever means necessary. The supernaturals were tired of hiding from a lesser archetype and soon spoke of enslavement. Anderson, Pierce, and Montgomery knew that despite the war against the demons being won, there were still open rifts into the underworld putting them all in danger. They refused to allow the infighting to occur when there was still so much darkness in their world. Together they persuaded both sides into letting their differences go and the Pact was made. _

Kurt was in way over his head with the history of their people. He tried his best to grasp it all but the more he read the less it made sense. One piece of information that stuck out to him though was the fact that Guardians worked very closely with their assigned royal. The connection between Royal and Guardian was deep, unbreakable even, and he couldn't help but wonder how close his mother had been to her royals. He wondered if she preferred them over her own family, though that was a question that had been burning inside him his entire life.

Kurt also thought about Blaine a lot throughout the summer. He wondered what his childhood had been like, what his life was like now. He wanted to know what kind of hobbies Blaine liked, what kind of music made him want to dance. There were other things that he tried not to think about though. He tried to keep the thoughts away, but he couldn't help but wonder if Blaine was gay. He thought about Blaine's strong physique and wondered if he would ever get as big. He daydreamed of Blaine kissing him, teaching him about more than just Guardian skills, blushing crimson red every time he imagined it. He was crushing hard on a boy he didn't even really know and all because the boy had protected him where no one else ever had. He felt pathetic. He knew there was no way that Blaine would ever like him, even if he was gay. Kurt was just a kid and Blaine was practically a Guardian. He would be shocked if Blaine even acknowledged his presence once school started. He sincerely doubted it would happen.

* * *

Blaine sat down in a chair in the air conditioned cabin, resting his head back with his eyes closed. For the first time in two months, he allowed himself to truly breathe. Before the start of every Guardian's final year of study, their skills, courage, wisdom and loyalty are tested and appraised so as to be placed into their proper rankings. Alongside his four best friends and two Guardians, Blaine was dropped off in the hot and oppressively humid jungles of South America to test his survival skills for two months straight. Blaine and his friends were at the top of the class so it was no surprise they were given the hardest challenge. It had been decades since the Academy sent a group to South America, its jungles overflowing with demons. But their skills were unmatched and after a year's worth of bragging that they were indeed the best, they had to prove it.

Blaine and his friends had gloated to every one of their instructors and the royal families that they could handle the jungle easily. When it came time to put their words into action however, the five young men were admittedly worried for their survival. There were moments in the middle of the night that Blaine was certain the demons would do them in. But their synchronicity and trust in each other made all the difference, and in the end they survived mostly unscathed. They would return to the Academy as heroes.

"Damn little brother." Blaine lifted his head and smirked at his older brother. "You're looking rather beastly over there."

Blaine reached for his face and rubbed his beard. "That's what happens when you leave me in the Amazon with no way to shave."

Cooper sat on the arm of the chair and ruffled Blaine's hair. "Not to mention this mop of hair. It killed you not being able to be pretty didn't it?" he teased.

Blaine shoved his hand away and chuckled. "I'm always pretty, Coop."

Cooper took a good look at his brother and noticed the cut on Blaine's neck hidden underneath the facial hair. He ran his finger along the wound and Blaine winced. "That's gonna leave one hell of a scar."

"Oh, now you're concerned?" Blaine snapped unintentionally. "We're lucky to have made it out alive."

Cooper raised his hands in surrender. "I had no say in your final exam, B. You know that."

Blaine let out a short breath. "I know, I know," he said tiredly. "I'm sorry."

Cooper smiled apologetically and tilted Blaine's head to see better. "Shadow demon?"

Blaine nodded. "Yeah. The guys got cut up pretty bad too." Shadow demons clawed at their victims until there was nothing left but shredded skin and bones. Few went head to head with one and lived to tell the tale. Those who did survive would forever have scars that never truly healed.

"That's one way to put it," Jeff said as he entered the cabin. The others were still getting examined by the Academy physician. Physically, with the exception of battle wounds, they were fine. Their psychological health, however, needed to be tested. Guardians were the strongest willed of heart, but it wouldn't be the first time a demon tainted the light in a Guardian's soul. "Those things are vicious."

Cooper sucked in a breath at the sight of the blond. "Holy shit, Sterling."

Jeff merely smiled proudly, the cut over his eye still burning a little despite the attack happening more than a month ago. "I like it. It makes me look a total badass."

"You're lucky you didn't mess up your face, Squirt. Then you really wouldn't be pretty anymore."

Blaine pushed Cooper off the arm rest with a laugh. "I told you, I'm always pretty."

Jeff pointed at Blaine in agreement as he took a seat. He let out a long sigh. "Thank God that's over."

"Seriously," Blaine muttered. "When are we going home, Coop?"

"The helicopter is already here," Cooper told him. "As soon as David, Wes, and Nick are done being examined we'll head out."

Blaine let out a relived sigh. He couldn't wait to get home.

* * *

It wasn't until Blaine reached the steps of his treehouse that he remembered Kurt. He looked around and saw the boy's bike leaning against the shed in his backyard. He considered not going up. It may be his treehouse but if Kurt had been using it as a refuge, he didn't want to disturb him. He wondered if Kurt had spent a lot of time up there during the summer, if his bullies had run him off again or if he had been able to have a normal summer. For Kurt's sake he hoped it was the latter. It would be the last normal summer Kurt would ever have. With a small sigh, Blaine made his way up the steps.

The door was closed so instead of going straight in, Blaine knocked. "Kurt?" he called out. "It's me, Blaine. I'm back."

Blaine heard shuffling around and the lock clicked. He pushed the door open to find Kurt scrambling to gather his things. "Blaine, hi, you're back," Kurt said in one quick breath. "I didn't know you were coming back today. I'm sorry I'm still here. I'll get my things and get out of your way."

"Kurt, relax," Blaine chuckled as he entered his treehouse. "It's fine that you're here. You don't have to go if you don't want to."

Kurt took a second to breath, avoiding eye contact with Blaine and continued to gather his things. "I've already overstayed my welcome. I don't want to get in your way."

Blaine reached for Kurt's hand to stop him from picking his papers up. Kurt met his eyes and blushed. "It's cool that you're here. I promise. You can go if you want but I'm not kicking you out."

Kurt dropped his eyes, unable to look into Blaine's any longer, and gasped when he saw the cut. "What happened?"

Blaine's hand flew up to his neck. "Oh um…there was an accident but I'm fine. We're all fine."

Kurt nodded slowly and tucked his legs underneath him, stacking his papers together so they weren't spread out over the floor. Blaine took a seat in his usual corner and breathed deeply, glancing around to see that Kurt had kept the place clean.

"Did you have a good summer?" Kurt asked quietly, his eyes still downcast. "Other than the accident, I mean."

Blaine thought it over before answering. Sure, his summer had been filled with some questionable choices and fighting all the creatures that went bump in the night. But overall, he had to admit it wasn't bad. The guys and he had bonded in a way that only a life threatening situation could provide and they all made it home safely. He may have been desperate to get home towards the end, but he wouldn't have changed a thing about his summer.

"You know what? I did," Blaine said thoughtfully. "How about yours? Did those guys screw with you again?"

Kurt shook his head. "I think they were all at football camp cause I never saw them. I spent most of my time either here or at the shop with my dad."

"The shop?"

"My dad's a mechanic," Kurt answered with pride. "He owns _Hummel Lube and Tires_."

Blaine stared at him for a moment before his eyes suddenly went wide. "Your dad isn't the bald guy with the baseball cap, is he?"

Kurt raised a curious brow. "Yeah, that's him. Why?"

Blaine ran his fingers through his hair. "Oh my God, I dropped you off at your house! He could've recognized my car! He could've killed me!"

"What?" Kurt asked bemused. His dad would never hurt a fly. "What are you talking about?"

Blaine gave Kurt toothy yet guilty grin and Kurt could only internally swoon. "See, this thing happened last summer, to my car, but I wasn't the one who did it, I was just there, and your dad had to fix it and he wasn't exactly thrilled about it."

Kurt narrowed his eyes. "What did you do to my dad?"

"It wasn't me, I swear!" Blaine denied. "And it wasn't _to_ your dad, it was to my car, but I didn't do it." Kurt kept his eyes firmly on Blaine though a smirk played at his lips. Blaine was adorable when he was flustered. "One of my best friends, Jeff, has this thing where he acts compulsively and does stupid stuff for a laugh. Last year he thought it would be funny to fill my exhaust with pink dye and my car kept backfiring pink smoke." Kurt's jaw dropped, realizing exactly where the story was going. "We took it into the shop and we didn't tell him what Jeff did. So while your dad tried to find out why my car was spewing pink, it backfired on him and completely covered him in pink dust. It was…so much funnier in person," he laughed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't laugh but it was hilarious. I'm pretty sure though that your dad wanted to kill us."

"Oh he did," Kurt assured him with a small giggle. "He was so angry when he got home that day. It took me forever to get the pink off his clothes."

"Sorry?" Blaine half shrugged with an innocent smile and Kurt thought it was the cutest thing he'd ever seen. "So are both your parents grubs then? It's not unusual for a child of two grubs to be a Guardian." Kurt's face dropped and he looked away. "What's wrong?"

"My mom…my mom wasn't a grub," Kurt answered just above a whisper. "She...she was a Guardian."

"Was?" Blaine asked softly and Kurt nodded wordlessly. Blaine immediately understood. Most Guardians died in the field. "I'm sorry for you loss."

Kurt shrugged. "I was nine. She was on a special mission or something and there was an accident."

Blaine smiled sympathetically. "I'm sure she was a great Guardian."

"She was," Kurt spoke softly.

An awkward silence filled the air and Blaine felt bad for causing it. He could tell Kurt was having a hard time controlling his emotions. There was a faint glow surrounding him that Blaine was sure Kurt didn't realize. Kurt was deeply tapped into his spirit and he got the feeling that Kurt would grow into quite an impressive Guardian, "So," Blaine cleared his throat. "Did you read the books I left?"

Kurt nodded and wiped away a tear that had escaped. "Yeah," his voice cracked. "I read them a lot actually but I'm still kinda lost to it all. There's just so much information I don't understand."

"That's not surprising," Blaine said kindly. "Regular schools don't really prepare you for Guardianship. They can't. It's difficult for grubs to describe something they can't comprehend. You'll understand it all soon enough though. Once you're at the Academy it'll all be explained better."

Kurt looked up worriedly. "What's the Academy going to be like? I'm assuming the classes will be a lot harder and that we'll be trained to fight."

"The first year doesn't focus too much on your training actually," Blaine said. "It's more informative for both you and the instructors. You'll learn about the Royal families and the bloodlines and you'll learn about how to focus your spirit. The instructors will put you through a series of tests without you ever knowing its happening and it will help them determine if you're more suited to work on or off the field. There are only about a hundred kids chosen every year. You'll start out in a group of ten or fifteen for a little while before you're assigned to a group of four or five. Unless you're a distinct Guardian."

"Distinct Guardian?"

"A Guardian not in a group, a solo Guardian," Blaine explained. "You'll still have other Guardians you work with and go on missions with, but you're only in charge of yourself and your royal. Distinct Guardians work much more closely with the royal family than group Guardians. There's usually one or two distinct Guardians to a family and one group."

Kurt shifted in his spot, eager to know more. "Are you in a group or are you distinct? Or have you not been assigned yet?"

"You usually get assigned pretty early on," Blaine told him. "It can always change, especially during senior year. But it's usually really easy for the Academy to know where you belong. My four best friends and I are in a group but we're a bit different though. We grew up together and we all come from a long line of Guardians so it was only natural for us to be in a group." Blaine didn't mention exactly how far back the Anderson lineage goes or the fact that they were basically royalty without the title. Kurt would learn that soon enough anyway.

"Are the instructors nice?" Kurt asked him.

"Mostly," Blaine answered. "There are a few hardasses but I doubt you'll get one. They're usually reserved for the more rambunctious students and you're just a little too sweet," he smirked.

Kurt blushed and looked away. "Did you guys have a hardass for an instructor?"

Blaine scoffed and rolled his eyes. "My father is our instructor so yes, total hardass." Kurt smiled a little. "You may even get a personal mentor depending on which skills surface."

"I don't think I have very many useful skills," Kurt muttered.

"You're only 13, Kurt," Blaine reminded him. "Your spirit has just barely awoken. Trust me, as time goes on and you tap into your spirit more, you're going to find out just how powerful you are. I can already tell that you have a strength about you that most novices don't have until their second or third year. As long as you harness it, you'll do great."

Kurt smiled appreciatively. He didn't exactly know what_ it_ was or how Blaine could possibly think he was strong. But he would do the best he can.

* * *

Burt gave a low whistle as the Academy came into view. He'd never driven past the gates, even when his Lizzy was an active Guardian, so he had no idea how grand the property truly was. He spent at least twenty minutes getting his identification and visitor's pass checked out at the front gate before being allowed to enter. The Academy stood tall in the middle of the one thousand acres land with houses and training facilities circling around it, the property surrounded by trees and a river. Grubs were not usually allowed to enter the grounds, but with Kurt as a new student and resident, Burt was granted limited access for the day. Burt parked the car but neither he nor Kurt made any attempt to get out. Kurt's nerves were wrecked. He hadn't realized how much his life was about to change until that very moment. Burt stared in awe at the architecture. It was a thing of beauty.

"I gotta be honest here, bud. I'm kinda jealous that you'll get to stay here while I gotta go back to my boring life," Burt teased lightly as he unbuckled his seatbelt. He had known Kurt's entire life that his son would be a Guardian. Kurt was every bit his mother's son and Burt had prepared for this day for years.

"We can trade if you want," Kurt retorted. "I'll take care of the shop and you can become a Guardian. How's that sound?"

Burt chuckled and reached over to muss Kurt's hair. "Don't worry so much, son. You're gonna do great."

Kurt nodded wordlessly. He sure hoped so.

They got out of the car, grabbed Kurt's bags, and headed to the entrance of the main building, The Academy: Dalton Division. There was one other Academy in the United States located in the south, the Coven Division. While the Dalton division was run by the Smythe and Lopez families, the Coven Division was run by the Clarington family. Kurt was still a little lost when it came to the bloodlines, but he knew enough to understand that of their three royal families, the Clarington vampires were the fiercest.

They stopped directly in front and looked up. Burt whistled again. There had to be no less than fifty floors. "You ready for this, bud?"

Kurt gulped, began to nod to his head but then quickly shook it. "Nope. Not at all. Why don't I come back next year?" he turned to his father with a hopeful smile. Burt offered him a small smile and shook his head. Kurt deflated. "Ok then, I guess I'm ready."

The only word that came to mind when Kurt and Burt entered the building was wow. The ceiling went up as far as Kurt could see and there were hundreds of hallways that led inside. The décor was both gothic and regal and both Hummels were floored by the extravagance. There was change in atmosphere that only Kurt could feel the moment they walked through the doors and the anxiety he held started to dissipate.

Together they walked to the front desk and signed in. The woman gave Kurt his room information, a few books, and a map to help him get around the school. Burt ordered his uniform which would be in the next day before the two of them headed to the dorms. The first, second, and third year students lived within the confines of the Academy while the rest of the students lived in an assigned house on the property. Kurt was more than ready to head to his room to settle in but Burt had other plans.

"Dad, come on!" Kurt whispered harshly, looking around the hall they weren't supposed to be in. "You're going to get me in trouble!"

Burt waved him off. "Son, relax. We'll just say we got lost," Kurt sent him an unimpressed glare. "Besides, I've always wanted to see the inside of this place. It's like I'm a spy. Let me explore a little." Kurt rolled his eyes. _Dad is such a kid sometimes._ "Hey, check this out."

Kurt huffed and followed his father to the door of a training room. Inside were several older students sparring. Kurt's face lit up with excitement. _That could be me one day_.

* * *

Blaine flipped Alex, quickly turned to Robert, ducking and then kicking Robert's feet out from underneath him, and finally to Jacob, getting in several good punches into the chest before kicking him back. Blaine stayed in his defensive position until he was certain the three boys would stay on the ground. He smiled with pride as they stayed and groaned in pain. He barely broke a sweat.

"Damn it, Anderson. How the hell did you get better?" Robert bitched as he stood up.

Blaine shrugged a shoulder though he wore a cocky grin. "You don't get to be a badass by sleeping in class, Velez."

"That was one time!" Robert shouted, the other boys snickering.

Blaine shook his head and laughed, turning towards the door to see Kurt and Burt watching them. The moment Kurt met his eyes he disappeared from the door pulling Burt with him.

Blaine smirked. "I'll be right back," he said to his classmates and quickly exited the training room. "Kurt, hey."

Kurt whipped around. "Blaine! Hey," he squeaked, his eyes roaming down Blaine's physique on their own accord. Blaine was dressed in training shorts and a black tank top, his curly hair breaking free from its gel. "Hi. We didn't mean to disturb you, sorry. We just got lost. We're on our way to the dorms now."

Burt rolled his eyes with amusement. His son's crush was ridiculously obvious, except to maybe Blaine who simply smiled. Burt took a good look at the teenage boy and narrowed his eyes. "Wait a minute, you're the kid with the jeep, the one with the pink dye!"

Blaine cringed a little. "I am. I'm sorry. But it wasn't me, I swear! It was the blond one!"

Burt opened his mouth to reprimand him on car care when Kurt cut in. "He's also the one whose treehouse I've been using," he reminded his father. "You know, the same guy who got Karofsky and his buffoons to leave me alone."

Burt eyed Blaine for a moment and nodded. "Fine, I won't lecture you this time. Next time I see you around however," Burt waved his finger at Blaine.

Kurt covered his face with embarrassment. _This can't be happening_. Blaine smiled though and nodded. "I totally understand." Burt hummed and gave him a nod. "Did you need help finding your way to the dorms?"

"Yes," Kurt answered immediately, giving his father a look that said they were done exploring. Burt rolled his eyes but nodded, a small smirk on his lips.

Blaine watched them curiously. He knew enough about Kurt to know that he was close with his father. Blaine wondered what it would be like having a real relationship with his own father and not one based on politics. He quickly pushed the thought away. _That's never going to happen_. "Well," he started. "You're a bit off course but I know a short cut. Follow me." Kurt and Burt followed close behind as Blaine entered a room, exited a different door, and came out at a different hallway. "I recommend that you stick to the map, Kurt. This place can really turn you around if you aren't paying close attention." Blaine glanced behind him to see Burt following but Kurt lingering behind. "Kurt?"

Kurt didn't move though. He was frozen, staring at a picture on the wall. His voice broke just barely a whisper, "Mom."

Blaine and Burt walked over to him. Burt let out a shaky breath. "Lizzy."

The picture was of the Smythe family with their Guardians. Elizabeth stood behind the sorcerer prince with a hand on his shoulder. Blaine smiled sadly. He remembered the day Sebastian had learned of his Guardian's death like it was yesterday. That had been a turning point for his friend. "I had no idea Elizabeth Morris was your mom."

"Did you know her?" Burt asked, his gentle tone not matching his hard exterior.

"Not personally, sir," Blaine shook his head, a sympathetic smile on his lips. "But I knew of her. I was told she was a great Guardian."

"I want to go to my room now," Kurt suddenly snapped but there was no anger, only sadness. "Please."

Blaine nodded. "It's right this way," he said softly.

Kurt walked beside him down the hall, Blaine placing a comforting hand on Kurt's shoulder. Burt hung back a little and eyed the teenage boy. He had been so lost in his excitement for Kurt's future that it hadn't occurred to him until that moment how much he would be missing; Kurt's first boyfriend, his first kiss, his first heartbreak. Leaving him at the Academy didn't seem as exciting anymore.

* * *

"Here it is," Burt said as he opened Kurt's dorm room door. "Home sweet home."

"No," Kurt drawled behind him. "Home is about two hours that way," he pointed in a general direction. "This isn't home, this is school."

Burt set Kurt's things down on one of the twin beds then took a seat. He patted the empty space next to him. "Have a seat, son." Kurt sat next to his father but kept his eyes down. "Kurt, you need to think of this place as your home too."

"What if I don't want to?" Kurt asked disgruntled. This wasn't the first time they'd had this conversation.

"Then you are going to be extremely unhappy," Burt spoke softly. "We've talked about this. Once I leave today, I won't be allowed back unless it's a true emergency. These people are completely in charge of you now. I may be your father but I have no authority here."

"I wish I had been a grub like you," Kurt mumbled. "Life would be so much easier."

"Life is never easy, bud. Besides, you don't want to be a grub. It's boring." Burt shoulder bumped him. "I know this all seems so scary right now, but hey, if you gotta play the game then at least you're on the winning side."

Kurt raised a brow at his father. "This isn't a game, Dad. This is my life. I could die! Didn't you see the cut on Blaine's neck? He hasn't told me how he got it but I bet you anything it was from some kind of demon!"

"Yeah, you're probably right," Burt nodded, recalling the scars his late wife had on her body. "But I bet you anything that Blaine is proud of that scar. It means he survived protecting whomever he was assigned to protect. And life is a game, Kurt. Me, and all the other normal humans, we're pawns. But you get to be a knight."

Kurt shrugged. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Of course I am," Burt smirked. "And speaking of Blaine, I know that you like him."

"Oh god," Kurt groaned into his hands.

"But he's too old for you," Burt continued. "I know he's a nice guy but you're only 13."

"He's 17!" Kurt said defensively. "He's only four years older."

"Four years makes a big difference, son, especially at your age," Burt said seriously. "All I'm saying is to be careful who you give your heart away to. Don't throw yourself around like you don't matter. 'Cause you matter, Kurt." Kurt nodded and frowned at the floor. This was not a conversation he wanted to have. Burt sighed. Leaving his son was going to be harder that he thought. "You know, I'm technically supposed to leave after bringing you to your room. We've already broken the rules by taking that detour. I should probably head out before we get busted."

Kurt took a deep breath. He was not going to cry. "Yeah, you should probably go."

Kurt and Burt stood up to hug goodbye only to be interrupted by the door swinging wide open. "Whoa!" A boy with blond hair walked in. "This room is awesome!"

Kurt glanced around the room with a raised brow. The room was big with more than enough space for the two beds, two closets, and two desks, but awesome wasn't how Kurt would describe it. Dull was more like it. _This room is in desperate need of some color._

The boy dropped his things on the empty bed and turned to Kurt. "Are you my roommate?"

"No, I'm squatting," Kurt answered sarcastically.

The boy gave him a crooked smile. "You're funny. I'm Sam," he introduced himself.

Kurt took Sam's hand a little hesitantly. "Kurt."

Sam simply smiled and turned around. "Mom, Dad, in here," he called out. "I kinda ran ahead and left them behind," he told Kurt and Burt. Sam's parents walked in with a bag each.

"Not bad, son," Mr. Evans nodded approving the room.

"**Attention Grub Parents,"** a voice over the PA boomed through the rooms and hallway. **"Do well to remember that you are only allowed to walk your child to their room. Any unauthorized persons ****lingering in the halls will be escorted off the premises. The family that has taken a detour to the training fields; report to the front immediately. Do not make us find you."**

"Somebody's in trouble," Burt said with a wink to his son. Kurt could only shake his head.

"I guess we should go," Mrs. Evans said teary eyed.

"Aw, mom," Sam complained. "Don't cry again. I'll be fine."

Burt turned to a sullen Kurt while Sam said goodbye to his parents. "You're going to do great, son. Believe in yourself." Kurt threw his arms around his father's waist and hugged him tight. "I'll see you for Thanksgiving. I love you, Kurt."

"I love you too, Dad."

Kurt held on as long as he could but inevitably let his father go. He stood tall as his father walked away and only when the door was closed and he knew Burt wasn't coming back did he allow himself to slump on his bed. Sam watched Kurt for a minute before sitting down on his bed across from his new roommate.

"So, um," Sam started awkwardly. "My mom said that I should tell my roommate, or you, all the stuff about me you'll probably get annoyed with." Kurt raised a brow at him. "You know, just to get it all out there. She said it'll create a um…_mutual coexisting habitat_, or something like that. Anyway, we could do that now, if you want. Like, I'll tell you all my bad habits and then you can tell me yours. And we'll, you know, work around them and stuff." Kurt continued to stare but said nothing. "Right, so I'll go first. I talk in my sleep sometimes but only when I have bad dreams and I'm kinda messy. Ok, a lot messy, but I'm going to try real hard to remember to pick up my stuff. I do a lot of impressions too. I think I'm pretty good but some people get annoyed with me for it. Your turn," he said with an easy going smile.

Kurt narrowed his eyes. If this was going to be his roommate for the rest of the year then he was going to lay all his cards, or rather his most important card, out on the table. "I'm gay," he said outright. Sam's eyes widened a little. "Yeah, that's right, I like boys. And no that doesn't mean I'm going to creep on you when you're getting dressed or anything."

"Ok," Sam half shrugged. "I mean, I don't get it, cause I totally love girls. They're pretty and they smell nice and boys usually stink. But I'm not like, a homophobe or anything." Kurt raised a surprised brow. "Plus, how could I ever be a Guardian if I didn't like gay people? Aren't the Werewolf Princess and the Sorcerer Prince gay too?"

Kurt shrugged. "I don't know. Are they?"

"Yeah, totally!" Sam exclaimed. "At least that's what the old lady next door told me when she found out I was going to be a Guardian. She used to be one a long time ago but she's like way, _way_ old now. Like 93 or something. I think she told me cause she didn't want me to say the wrong thing or be surprised when I got here. Either way, I'm cool with it."

"Oh, well, good."

"Is there anything else I should know?" Sam asked with genuine interest.

Kurt contemplated the question for a minute before answering. "I can be a neat freak and I can be really mean when I'm upset, but I think that's it."

Sam nodded. "Cool. So, friends?" Sam extended his hand to Kurt, a hopeful smile on his lips.

Kurt stared for a second then conceded, taking Sam's hand into his own. "Friends."

* * *

The grand hall the first years were instructed to gather in after dinner service was the most extravagant, breathtaking room Kurt had ever seen. It had a high ceiling, two floors, scones on the walls, and a marble floor that reminded Kurt of the Beast's castle from _Beauty and the Beast._ Kurt assumed the reason they were gathered together was so the administration could go over the rules with them. Sam however, went into instant panic mode and was certain that something was about to go horribly array.

"What if this is some test?" he whispered frantically into Kurt's ear. "What if they're going to like, fight us or have us fight each other and weed out the weaklings?! Dude, I can't kill anybody! I'm just a kid!"

"We're all just kids, Sam," Kurt said with an eye roll. "You're freaking out over nothing."

"How do you know?!" Sam all but shouted.

Several other students around them turned their way and Kurt shushed Sam harshly. "Because it's still school, remember? Seriously, calm down."

Before Sam could get another word in, the lights went out, plummeting the roomful of kids into pitch darkness. Sam grabbed onto Kurt's arm in fear, the room bursting with anxious murmurs. "Oh my God."

Kurt tried to pull away but Sam's grip was too tight. Seconds in the darkness seemed liked hours though and Kurt had to admit that he was starting to get a little freaked out himself. A pair of glowing amber orbs appeared on the second floor in front of the hall and Kurt immediately recognized them to be Blaine's eyes. The sudden silence was deafening, the fear amongst the students palpable. Another pair of glowing eyes, blue this time, appeared and soon the kids were surrounded by hundreds of them. The kids bundled together as the floating eyes moved closer.

"Welcome boys and girls," Blaine's voice carried throughout the hall, "to the first day of the rest of your lives." Blaine stood on the second floor railing, his whole body emanating a glow. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Blaine Anderson, and we," Blaine gestured around him and the lights slowly turned back on, "are your senior Guardians." Blaine stepped off the ledge and dropped down to the first floor expertly. The room was abuzz with excited chatter while Kurt stared shocked. _Blaine's last name is Anderson? Like Greggory Anderson? There's no way. _

Blaine, Jeff, Nick, David, and Wes walked towards the group of kids who parted for them. Kurt made sure to stay in front so that he could see Blaine in all his glory.

"Gather round, don't be shy," David encouraged. The kids made a circle around them and the seniors walked in between them. "How are you guys feeling today? And be honest. None of that fake, '_Oh I'm so delighted to be here, _crap," he said goofily, earning him a few giggles spread throughout the kids. "How are you really feeling?"

The room stayed silent, not a single first year coming forward. "Nobody?" Blaine asked, his eyes scanning the crowd until they landed on Kurt.

Kurt looked away from Blaine's gaze and took a deep breath. "Scared," he spoke just above a whisper.

"What was that?"

Kurt looked up and Blaine couldn't miss the sudden determination on Kurt's eyes. "I said I'm scared."

"Of what?" Nick asked him.

Kurt shrugged a little. "I don't know. Everything? Of not knowing where my life is headed now. This place."

"What's so scary about this place?" Blaine asked with a gentle smile.

"Everything," Sam answered instead. "I mean this place is super awesome, but it's huge. And it's like, hidden from the rest of the world. That's scary."

David turned away from Kurt and Sam and to the group. "Is that how the rest of you feel?" There was a collective _yes_ amongst the kids. "Want to know a secret? Once upon a time, we were scared too."

"We were," Wes confirmed with a nod.

"Like yesterday," Jeff joked, and the kids all laughed.

"And that's ok," Wes continued. "There's no shame in being afraid. It's what drives our soul, our spirit."

"By a show of hands," Jeff started. "How many of you have at least one grub parent?" Most of the students raised their hand in the air. "Alright then. Now tell us this, how many of you know what Guardians actually do?" All but a few hands went down. Jeff turned to a boy towards the back. "You, with the spiky hair back there; what's your name?"

"Anthony," he answered.

"What do Guardians do? What are we about?"

"They guard everybody," Anthony answered. "Guardians are like, super badass fighters and decoders of like, the underworld language and stuff."

Jeff nodded. "Alright, that's not a bad answer. Anyone have a different answer?" The few hands left went steadily down. The seniors weren't surprised. Even those students who had Guardian parents wouldn't have been told the specifics of their new lives. That was the Academy's job.

"Nobody?" Blaine asked looking around the room until his eyes met Kurt's. He smiled encouragingly. "No other answers?" Reluctantly, not wanting to disappoint Blaine, Kurt raised his hand. "Kurt?"

Kurt blushed a little at Blaine openly acknowledging him. "Being a Guardian is about connecting our societies," he said shyly. "The supernatural and human societies."

Blaine smiled proudly. "That's right," he turned to the group. "Being a Guardian is about so much more than fighting well and deciphering codes from the underworld. It's about keeping our two societies safe and connected."

"We are the bridge that closes the gap between our societies," Wes stated. "The world thinks that we are nothing but glorified body guards for the royals but they are wrong. Our job is to protect them, the humans. We don't work for the royals, we work _with_ them. If we fail, they fail. If we fall, they fall. We are the glue that binds our communities. Without us, chaos would surely ensue."

"There are things out there," Jeff said pointing outside, "dark creatures that you've never even heard of, with one sole purpose; to destroy mankind. They are vicious and deadly, and it's our job to protect the world from them. You see this cut?" he pointed at his face. "This came from a shadow demon, one of the most volatile creatures." Kurt's heart dropped at Jeff's confession, his eyes shifting to Blaine's scar. "Had I not destroyed it, it would have surely taken the life of another and another and another, until one of us stopped it. It's appetite for destruction is insatiable."

"We don't mean to tell you this to scare you," David spoke up. "We're telling you this to prepare you. The world you think you know is a much darker place than you could ever imagine and we are the only ones who can rid it of its evil."

"You all still have a long way to go," Nick said with a small smile. "But one day, it will be you who's out there fighting; it will be you who's out there protecting your family and friends. Don't let that scare you. We promise that once you're truly able to control your spirit you'll be dying to get out there and kick some ass. But that doesn't mean you go looking for trouble either. It just means you'll know how truly important you are and how much the world needs us."

"Now," Blaine said with a clap and a mischievous smile. "Have any of you ever seen a Guardian fight?" The kids shook their heads no. "Would you guys like a demonstration?" The room burst with excited murmurs. "Alright then. This is but a small part of what we do, but it is definitely the most fun," he winked.

The first years stepped back as the guys in the middle took defensive stances and a pretty yet fierce blonde girl stepped forward. Kurt wondered if she really had any chance of beating one of the boys in Blaine's group.

"You sure you want to come at me, Quinn?" Jeff goaded.

Quinn nodded without hesitation and smirked, her eyes glowing a soft amber much like Blaine's while Jeff's glowed a darker brown. She stepped back and ran straight to Jeff with lightning speed. Jeff caught her and flipped her backwards. The kids gasped as Quinn landed on her feet and charged at Jeff once more. They sparred for a minute, Quinn only landing a few punches to Jeff's chest. She kicked him hard enough to make him fall onto his back but he jumped back up onto his feet and got into his defensive stance as she went after him again. Several other seniors came into the circle and challenged the rest of Blaine's group. Kurt though kept his eyes on Blaine. He watched as the teen fought the others off effortlessly. They were all moving so fast that it started to become one big blur. But Blaine was in the center of it, strong and steady, completely focused on his attackers. He was stunning and Kurt wondered if he would ever be half the fighter that Blaine was.

The seniors sparred for several minutes, Blaine and his friends beating them one by one until they were all on the ground. The new students all broke out into applause.

"Some of us are better fighters than others," David said while helping his classmates up. "Just like some of us are better savants than others. But none of that matters because we all share the same goal: to protect and bring forth peace."

"Sleep well tonight, young guardians," Blaine spoke with leadership. "Take time this weekend to really get to know each other because these are the people with whom you will learn, and fight side by side for the rest of your lives. This is the time to start creating everlasting friendship. Then come Monday, the real work begins. You're all dismissed."

Kurt started to make his way out of the grand hall with Sam by his side. He could hear the kids around him, Sam included, talking about staying up late in the common room and hanging out. But Kurt just wanted to go back to his room. He could socialize with everyone tomorrow. Right now he wanted to be alone. While the other kids chattered excitedly about their new lives, all Kurt could think about was the dangers that he would have to face; dangers that his mother had faced. The same dangers that inevitably led to her demise and could potentially lead to his. He never did find out how she died and now that he was in her world the need to know was astounding. _Would he die the same way? Would his final breath be more painful than hers? Was he destined to leave those he loved behind to wonder what truly became of him? And if he survived, if he lasted longer than she did, did it mean that he was somehow on borrowed time? Would his life come to a more excruciating end because of it? _

"You're gonna hang with us too right?" Sam asked him, bringing him out of his morose thoughts.

Kurt looked at Sam and the boys he was talking to. "Um," he stammered. A tap on his shoulder saved him from answering. He turned around to see Blaine smiling at him. "Blaine, hi."

"Hey, Kurt," Blaine greeted. "Do you want to hang out for a little bit before curfew?"

Kurt just barely contained his grin. "Yeah, sure," he turned to Sam with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Sam, but I'm going to go hang out with Blaine instead."

Sam nodded a little, his jaw agape. The fact that Kurt was friends with a senior Guardian officially made Kurt the coolest kid in their class. "Yeah, dude. Totally. I'll see ya," he waved before scurrying off to tell the others how his awesome roommate was friends with a senior.

"You can go with them if you like," Blaine said to Kurt with a friendly smile. "Don't feel like you have to hang with me just because I asked."

Kurt shook his head, his cheeks tinting the slightest of pinks. "It's fine. I wasn't going to go with them anyway. I was just going to go to my room."

"Oh come on," Blaine said and starting walking the opposite way of the crowd. "You can't stay in your room on your first night," he teased.

Kurt shrugged a little, his face lowered. "I'm not really in the mood to socialize tonight."

Blaine nodded with understanding. "It's a lot to take in."_ That's an understatement_, Kurt thought. "But it gets easier as time goes by." Kurt smiled a little at him but said nothing. "Come on," Blaine nodded towards the door that led outside. "I'll show you the grounds and the house the guys and I live in during the school year."

"You guys get your own house?"

"Mhm," Blaine smiled as they exited the main building. "Our families live on the grounds too but on the opposite side of the property."

"How does that work exactly?" Kurt wondered. "I know that this place is more like a community than it is a school but how is this all organized?"

Blaine stepped onto the path closest to the woods and slipped his hands into his pocket. The grounds were lit with classic style lanterns and there were benches following the path. "Well, the property is separated into five sections. The werewolves are in control of the entire wooded area. Word of advice; never enter the woods during a full moon. Sometimes the pups get away from the pack run and they tend to bite." Kurt's eyes widened in alarm. "Not in a, _they're going to eat you_, way," Blaine chuckled. "They're just trying to play. But since they're so young they don't realize how rough they're being. Accidents can happen."

"Stay out of the woods, got it," Kurt mumbled to himself. Blaine smirked with amusement. "What else?"

"There's the dome," Blaine pointed at a large semi-circle building off in the distance. "That's where the sorcerers study. Their houses form a circle that helps them focus their magic and the dome is directly in the middle." Blaine turned and pointed to the Academy. "There's the main building which lies in the center of the entire property. Guardians who don't have families live there with the students." Kurt had been so anxious when he first arrived that he hadn't truly looked at it. But now, with the night sky and the lanterns lighting their way, Kurt noticed how much the Academy resembled a castle. It was beautiful.

"There's the Guardian faction on the opposite side of the lake," Blaine pointed behind him. "That's where all the Guardian families live, with the exception of the older students and new Guardians. We live over here," Blaine nodded in front of them. Kurt could see a small bridge that led to a group of houses. "We're closest to the main building because technically a lot of us are still students. But we live with our group members, our distinct if we have one, and our mentors unless they have a family."

"And grubs don't live here?" Kurt asked. "I mean, I know that grubs aren't really allowed on property, so what happens to the Guardian families with babies and little kids that haven't turned of age?"

"They live out there," Blaine nodded to the side and Kurt assumed he meant the real world. Because in many ways, the separation between them and the human world made the Academy seem so much more mystical. "Take me and the guys for instance. Our families have houses on the same block amongst all the grubs. We lived out there and went to the same school. My family lives on property now because I was the last born, but Jeff and Nick both have siblings so their families live out there still."

"Is that why I didn't see anyone during the summer?" Kurt questioned.

Blaine nodded. "I actually hadn't been to my treehouse in a while. But those few weeks before we left on our trip I wanted a place where I could just relax so I stayed at the house."

Blaine took a turn to switch paths and Kurt followed. "The trip where you got into an accident with shadow demons and earned that cut?" Kurt asked with a raised brow.

Blaine cringed a little. "You caught that, huh?" Kurt nodded, the worry evident on his face. Blaine smiled gently. "I didn't want to tell you about it because I didn't want to freak you out before you even got here."

"Will you tell me about it now?" Kurt asked hopefully.

Before Blaine could answer, his name was called by a familiar voice behind them. Blaine whipped his head around to see Sebastian walking their way. He glanced sideways at Kurt a bit anxiously then back at Sebastian with a small smile.

"Hey," he greeted, stepping away from Kurt to give Sebastian a hug. "Haven't seen you in a while. How was London?"

Sebastian smirked devilishly. "London was sinfully delicious," he purred. "You should've joined me, Killer."

Blaine rolled his eyes. "You know very well I couldn't."

Sebastian reached for Blaine's face and lifted his chin. "Glad to see you survived relatively unharmed."

"You should see Jeff," Blaine grinned. "His is actually pretty cool looking."

Sebastian chuckled and shook his head. He looked past Blaine to see Kurt standing behind him. "Who's your little friend?"

Blaine turned to Kurt and nodded him over, a hesitant smile on his lips. "This is Kurt Hummel, he's new this year. Kurt, this is-"

"Sebastian Smythe," Sebastian interrupted with a cocky grin. "The sorcerer prince and your future king." Kurt's eyes went wide at the realization of exactly who he was. He wasn't just the prince. He was his mother's royal.

"You just love to say that," Blaine muttered and sighed, subtlety glancing at Kurt who was staring at Sebastian.

"I really do," Sebastian smiled like the Cheshire Cat. Kurt continued to stare, unsure of how he should act towards the young prince. Sebastian was much taller than Blaine though not as broad, and he had an air about him that demanded respect and attention. He was incredibly good looking Kurt had to admit, but nothing compared to Blaine in his opinion. "Not much of a talker, are you?" Kurt stayed silent. "Ok then," Sebastian laughed a little and turned to Blaine. "I gotta go, I have a pretty little grub waiting for me to show him the time of his life." Blaine gave him an unimpressed look which Sebastian ignored. "I just wanted to say hey. I'll see you around though."

"Yeah," Blaine said curtly. "I'll see ya, Seb."

Sebastian turned to Kurt once more. "Work on those communication skills, kid," he winked. "Later, Blaine."

Kurt watched Sebastian walk away, his heart hammering in his chest. Without any thought, he yelled out, "You knew my mother."

"Kurt," Blaine whispered a bit harshly but Kurt's eyes were trained on Sebastian. He knew that Kurt meant no harm, that he was merely curious about his mother's past. But he didn't know if Sebastian would see it that way.

The young prince turned around bemused. "Pardon me?"

Kurt took a few steps closer. "My mom. She was a Guardian. Your family Guardian actually. Elizabeth Morris."

In a flash, Sebastian's entire demeanor changed. Kurt noticed the sudden stiffness in Sebastian's posture, the fire blazing in his eyes. But he failed to notice the hurt, the regret. He didn't see the way Sebastian gulped in order to keep his composure or the way his breathing became shallow. Blaine did. He could practically hear Sebastian's heart breaking. Blaine hoped that Sebastian remembered Kurt was only a child and not someone who was trying to get him to open up about Elizabeth's death. Blaine had been the only person Sebastian spoke to about her after that dreadful night and he refused to ever speak of her again.

"Wasn't she?"

Kurt's tiny voice broke Sebastian's barrier. His face softened, a long deep breath escaping his lips. He stepped closer to Kurt, looking down on him. "Your mother was a wonderful woman. She was my best friend, like a second mother even," he spoke softly and Blaine was shocked by the gentleness. "She would be proud to know you're here."

"Thanks," Kurt said just above a whisper.

Sebastian gave him a curt nod, glanced up at Blaine, and then quickly walked away. Blaine sighed, his heart pulling him in two directions. The young prince was always his most self-destructive when he thought of Elizabeth and a part of Blaine was desperate to chase after him, comfort him, let him know that things would be ok. But he couldn't a leave Kurt behind wondering what he did wrong.

Kurt looked at Blaine with tired eyes. "Are we done for the night?"

Confusion. Sorrow. Longing. Blaine heard them all in Kurt's tone. He offered him a small smile. "Not yet. There's one more place I want to show you."

Kurt nodded and followed the path with Blaine by his side. He glanced behind him in hopes of catching one final glimpse of Sebastian but he was nowhere in sight. He had hundreds of questions he wanted to ask, needed to ask, but he couldn't find the voice to do it. He hoped that one day he would be courageous enough to talk to the prince about her.

Blaine led Kurt to the small bridge and stopped in the middle. "If you keep following this path, you'll find our house at the end. It's the one with the blue shutters. If you ever need anything and can't find me, you can always check there." Kurt nodded wordlessly and leaned on the railing, his eyes downcast. Blaine leaned next to him. "I'm sorry if Sebastian left a poor taste in your mouth, so to of speak."

Kurt picked up a tiny rock that was on top of the railing and tossed into the lake. He did his best to hide the envy. While he was at home with his dad wondering when his mother was coming home from whatever mission she had, she was taking care of another little boy, being a mother to a boy who wasn't her son. "Must have been nice to have her around," he said dryly.

"Kurt," Blaine spoke gently. "You have to understand-"

"No, I don't," Kurt snapped at him. "I don't have to understand anything. Not right now anyway. It's only my first day here. I'm allowed to wonder why she chose this place over us; why she chose him." Blaine pursed his lips. He wanted to explain to Kurt how wrong he was, how Guardians never chose this life, that this life chose them. But he got the feeling that it would only make matters worse. Kurt didn't want to talk about her anymore, didn't want to think about the cost she had to pay to be a great Guardian, so he deflected his emotions like he learned to do when she walked out of their lives for good. "Besides, you still have to tell me what happened this summer," he said.

Blaine chuckled lightly though there was no humor in the situation. "A lot happened this summer, details of which I can't really tell you."

"Well, what _can_ you tell me?"

"I can tell you that this summer was really hard and that it was really dangerous," Blaine answered honestly. "But it was also a lot of fun, in its own way."

"And the cut?" Kurt pointed to Blaine's neck. "Did it hurt?"

Blaine lifted his hand and ran his fingers over the cut. "Yeah, it did. A lot actually. In fact, it still kinda does. Cuts like these never truly heal. It's more sensitive to the touch than anything else though."

"And those things, the shadow demons, they almost killed you?" Kurt questioned in a small voice.

"Mhm," Blaine nodded. "But it's like Jeff said, if we didn't stop them, they would've found someone else, someone who didn't have the skills to fight them off. Being a Guardian's a tough job."

"I'm starting to see that," Kurt muttered. "I don't know how I'm going to survive here."

"Hey now," Blaine placed his hand on Kurt's back. "Don't think like that. You have a long way to go in your training and I promise, the Academy doesn't make mistakes. You're here because you're meant to be here. The sooner you accept your place in this world the happier you'll be in the end."

Kurt looked up at him. "You sound like my dad," he grumbled.

Blaine smirked and shrugged a shoulder. "He's a smart man."

"Whatever," Kurt mumbled. He turned back towards the lake and looked up at the clear sky. He breathed deeply. "I've never seen so many stars before."

Blaine looked up and smiled. "Yeah, I love it out here at night. It's beautiful," Kurt nodded wordlessly. "We should head back inside. I don't want you to miss curfew on your first night."

Together they turned back towards the main building. "Thank you for showing me around," Kurt spoke softly. "And for being so nice to me and stuff. I'm sure hanging out with a little kid is probably the last thing you want to do."

Blaine chuckled and shook his head. "Not at all," he answered truthfully. "Just because you're younger than me doesn't mean we can't be friends." Kurt shrugged a shoulder, a light blush on his cheeks. "Besides, I'm not even that cool. If anything I'm cramping your style," he joked. Kurt raised a doubtful brow at him. "I'm serious," he said though he wore a smirk. "You're the coolest 13 year old I know. You'll see. I'm a huge dork."

"Maybe, maybe not," Kurt sighed as they got closer to the building. "But I'm not the descendant of the first Guardian ever, so I'm pretty sure you automatically get cool points for that." Blaine stopped in his tracks and looked at Kurt quizzically. Kurt turned to look at him. "Greggory Anderson? I read about him in one of the books you gave me, Mr. Blaine Anderson."

Blaine pursed his lips and nodded. "Right," he said with a sigh and continued walking. "I forgot that was in there. I had hoped you wouldn't find out about that yet."

"Why not?"

"For the exact reason you just said," Blaine said glancing sideways. "I don't like being known as Greggory Anderson's great, great, great, grandson or whatever. I just want to be Blaine."

"I guess I can understand that," Kurt nodded thoughtfully. "It's like with me. I keep comparing myself to my mom and I really shouldn't do that. And I would hate if everyone knew her and expected me to be like her when I'm just trying to be me."

Blaine and Kurt walked back inside. "Exactly," Blaine smiled gently. "Do you know how to get back from here?" Kurt nodded. "Alright then, head back to the dorms. The seniors are having a back to school party and I have to make an appearance, being the lead Guardian in our class and all."

"It must be so hard to be popular," Kurt teased lightly, his blush deepening.

"It really is," Blaine sighed overdramatically and Kurt couldn't help but giggle. Blaine smiled down at him. "The first night here is always the hardest. Try to sleep well, ok?"

"Ok."

"I'll see you around," Blaine said with a wink and walked back outside. Kurt walked to the door and watched Blaine walk away, a small smile on his lips. _Maybe being here won't be so bad after all_.

* * *

A/N: Just an fyi, Sebastian has a very big role in the story but do not fret, he's not a bad guy nor is he going to get in the way of Klaine. Let me know what you think. I love you guys!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hello my darlings. Thank you once again for all the love and support. I would seriously be lost without you.

I've decided to update this story sporadically while I work on the last set of chapter for A Lucky Man's Charm, that way I'm still updating something for you amazing readers. Thank you for your continued patience.

GleekMom, I love you.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination.

* * *

Kurt learned very quickly that Sam was a fiercely loyal person. After his walk with Blaine, Kurt decided to hang out in the common room for a little while. Everything was fine at first; Sam introduced him to some of the kids and offered Kurt a seat next to him. But when the topic of cars came up and Kurt tried to input, one of the boys muttered, _what would you know fag_, and Sam erupted.

"Don't call him that!" Sam had shouted angrily. "Kurt's my friend and my roommate and if you have a problem with him, you have a problem with me."

"Oh what? Are you a stupid fag like him too?" the boy taunted.

Sam stood up and towered over the boy. "Do not call him that," he enunciated, "If you have a problem with gay people then you should go home to mommy and daddy. The sorcerer prince and werewolf princess are both gay so you might want to reconsider where you stand."

Several other kids jumped in to defend homosexuality, a few of them commenting on how they had gay friends back home and a girl named Lisa even admitting that she was gay too. Kurt had been shocked. He wasn't used to people coming to his defense. Then again, he wasn't used to people who didn't judge him based on his sexuality either. It was a nice change from the day to day life he was used to.

The rest of his weekend consisted of talking with a group of boys about comic books and cars, and giving fashion advice to a few girls who he found pouring themselves into old Vogue magazines. For the first time in his life, Kurt felt like he belonged. And it wasn't just the welcoming students, it was the Academy itself. Ever since he arrived there was a calmness inside him that had never been present. Sure, he was still worried about what kind of Guardian he'd grow up to be. But the initial anxiety he'd been feeling since his thirteenth birthday had slowly but surely dissipated. By Sunday night, Kurt was beyond ready for classes to start.

* * *

Before first period even started Kurt realized that he so very wrong. He wasn't at all prepared for what the Academy had in-store for them. None of the students were. Monday morning had been an absolute mess. The first years had never been given a class schedule. They were instructed via the PA system to gather in the Sunlit Star Auditorium after breakfast, but there was no such room anywhere on the maps they were given. When Kurt asked Blaine if he knew where they were supposed to go, Blaine shrugged entirely too innocently, told Kurt good luck, and walked away with the biggest smile Kurt had ever seen. Several first years asked other older students and the few staff they'd seen but they all gave the same answer Blaine had given. It was then that Kurt remembered Blaine's words: _The instructors will put you through a series of tests without you ever knowing its happening._

"Oh my God," Kurt grabbed Sam's arm with wide eyes. "This is a test! They're trying to get us to find this room by ourselves!"

"But how can we find it if we don't know where it's at?" Sam asked bemused.

"Don't you see? That's the whole point! We're going to be Guardians one day, Sam. I bet you anything this is some sort of, _let's see how smart they are_, test," Kurt said with confidence.

Sam thought it over for a moment and nodded. "Alright then, let's find this room.

Kurt and Sam led a large group of first years through the halls of the Academy in attempt to find the room. It wasn't long before the group dwindled down to a handful of students, kids separating in hopes to find the auditorium first. There were no other students in the hallways except for the first years and the few teachers they had seen quickly walked away before the students could reach them. It was infuriating and Kurt was losing his patience. By the end of their first hour of searching, Kurt had reached his breaking point.

"This is ridiculous!" Kurt complained. "How do they expect us to find anything in this place?"

Sam shrugged as he opened a door. "I found a storage closet," he smirked at Kurt only to have his face drop instantly at the glare Kurt sent him.

"I think…I think we're supposed to go this way," a black boy named Jalen said pointing towards a hall Kurt was certain they'd already been through.

Kurt shook his head vigorously. "We already went down that way," he grunted though it seemed like no one was listening to him. He looked around the numerous hallways. "We have to be missing something. There has to be some sort of trick to this." Sam shrugged a shoulder before turning towards the hallway Jalen suggested. "Guys, we already went down that way!" Kurt said in aggravation.

"Well maybe we missed something," a blond girl named Lily said.

"We didn't," Kurt assured them but they all glanced down the hall anyway. Kurt pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "You know what, forget it. You guys can go that way but I'm not."

The small group immediately started walking down the hall. Sam stood in between them torn. "Dude, come on. Let's just try again."

"No one is stopping you from going, Sam," Kurt snipped. "Go if you want. I'll find this room on my own." Without another word, Kurt turned on his heel and walked the opposite way.

* * *

Five minutes after leaving the group, Kurt forwent the map completely and paid attention to his surroundings. He was much calmer now that he was by himself and though he had no idea where he was going, he felt more confident finding the auditorium without the extra weight of the other kids. Had he looked at his reflection in the windows he passed, he would've seen that his eyes were glowing a brilliant sea green.

He was no longer consciously thinking of finding the room but simply following his instincts. He turned into a hall that somehow seemed more deserted than the rest and saw large double doors at the end. He smiled victoriously. _That has to be it!_ Quickly he made his way down the long hallway. The closer he got to the doors, the further away he felt from the rest of the world. Just as he reached for the doorknob, a man appeared behind him.

"Whatcha doin?"

Kurt jumped back and turned around to see an instructor smiling amusedly at him. "Um, I," he stammered. "I was looking for the Sunlit Star Auditorium."

"And you think this is it?"

"I…yes," Kurt answered with confidence. "Yes I do."

"Why is that?"

"Because," Kurt shrugged. "I don't know. These doors," he glanced behind him then back at the man, "this hallway, it all seems so separate from the rest of this place. I figured it was worth a shot."

The man's smile widened. "What's your name?"

"Kurt Hummel."

"It's nice to meet you, Kurt. I'm Cooper," Cooper gave Kurt his hand to shake, a charming smile on his lips. "And you, young grasshopper, are completely correct."

"I am?" Kurt asked wide eyed.

Cooper walked past him and nodded. "You are," Cooper reached for the doorknob and opened it. "Welcome to the coolest room in the entire Academy."

Kurt entered the room and his jaw dropped. It wasn't actually an auditorium but rather a dome like room. The light that shined through came from the open sunroof in the center and the ceiling was covered in stars surrounding the opening that gleamed brilliantly.

"What is this place?" Kurt asked in wonderment.

"The Sunlit Star Auditorium," Cooper answered with a smirk. "During the day it looks like this and at night, the moon shines through and the star lights become sun rays."

Kurt turned to him confused. "How does that work?"

"It's one of the many mysteries of this place," Cooper smiled at him. "You see those beams of light coming from the stars?" he pointed to an area a few feet away and Kurt nodded. "Go touch them."

"What?"

"Go touch them," Cooper encouraged.

Kurt gave him a weird look but did as he was told. Slowly, he put his hand through a beam and the room vibrated with the most beautiful musical note Kurt had ever heard. "Wow," he whispered.

"Congratulations, Kurt. Not only are you the first student to find this place, you're also the only one that will have the honor of enjoying its music by yourself."

Kurt turned to him. "What happens to the other students?"

"They'll find this room eventually," Cooper told him. "Or they'll be escorted here if time runs out. After that, the Dean will have a few words with you guys before you receive your schedule for the week."

"So, this _was_ a test?"

"Yes and no. It's not a test of skill but rather a test of spirit. It's a way for us to see which students stick out and which ones will need a bit more help," Cooper informed you. "You, Mr. Hummel, passed with flying colors. I look forward to seeing what else you can do." Kurt smiled proudly, his eyes blinking a glow. Cooper continued to smile at him. "Have fun," he winked and walked out, closing the doors behind him.

Kurt looked at his surroundings with excitement. This was by far the coolest thing he'd ever experienced. He ran his fingers over the streams of light, each stream playing a different note. Without conscious thought, Kurt began to play a song that he didn't know but the melody was breathtakingly beautiful. Cooper peered inside to see Kurt dancing with the lights. He smiled brightly. He loved watching their students experience the magic of the Academy.

* * *

The next student to find the room was the girl Sam couldn't see to stop staring at all weekend, Mercedes. He explained the room's dynamics to her as best he could and together they played with star beams. It wasn't long after that a group of four found them and soon all the first years were dancing around the room to their own sort of song. Cooper, alongside four other instructors and the Dean, stood in the background to watch the students interact with the room and each other. They each held a clipboard taking individual notes of the students that stood out to them. Once they were satisfied with the information they gathered, the Dean made his way to the front.

"Settle down," he called out and the students almost instantly quieted it down. "For those of you who have not met me yet, my name is Nathan Montgomery and I am the Dean of the Academy. You may call me Mr. Montgomery or Dean Montgomery. How is everyone today?" The kids collectively replied they were dong well. "Good to hear. Now, before we get started on official business, I'd just like to say that I am extremely proud of you all. Not one of you had to be escorted here today. You all found this wondrous room on your own, which is not an easy task, we know," he gestured to himself and the instructors. "We all went through this when we were your age."

Kurt moved from behind someone in the crowd to see him better. He wasn't very tall but he held a strong stature that demanded respect. Kurt assumed by the last name that the Dean was a descendent of the founding Montgomery Guardian. "I'm sure you're all wondering exactly what this room is but before I answer that I must ask, how many of you have felt different from the moment you walked through the Academy doors on Friday?" Every student's hand went into the air. "The reason for that, boys and girls, is this very room."

Nathan folded his hands behind his back and walked into the group of kids, parting them to each side of the room. "In 1752 this school was built so that young Guardians could have a place to harness their abilities. This room was built as an auditorium but as you can see, that is no longer the case. A few months after the Academy's opening, this room as you see it now, appeared out of thin air. Despite the unusual phenomena, the Guardians of that time did not fear or worry about this room, for it brought them a sense of serenity. It's taken many years of study, but we have learned why the room exists. Any ideas?" he asked the students. They all shook their heads no.

"_We_, are the reason this room exists. Guardians are the reason this room comes to life. You see these stars?" He pointed to the ceiling. "Each star represents a Guardian in the Academy. When you step out of this building, your star disappears, and the moment you step back in, the star returns. That song you were playing, the one that no one could truly hear but you? That was your spirit saying hello. This room gathers our spirits together and becomes a spirit of its own. This is the place where you will truly learn to harness your abilities and one day, it will be the place where you take your Guardianship vow."

Nathan walked back to the front of the group. "You've got a lot to learn still. Just know that every doubt, every question, and every fear you might have, we all had them too." He turned to look at them. "We are more than a community of Guardians; we are family. We treat each other with kindness and respect. If anyone here has not treated a fellow classmate with kindness or respect, apologize now. You cannot learn to be your best with hatred or anger in your heart and we cannot teach you properly with darkness in your souls." The students looked at each other but no one moved. "We'll wait here all day if we must."

The first person to make a move was the boy who called Kurt a fag on Friday. He walked across the room to where Kurt stood and held out his hand. All eyes were on them. "I'm sorry for what I called you," he said with sincerity. His parents had always made it very clear that homosexuality was wrong. But his parents were technically no longer in charge of him and he felt a desperation in his soul to do right. "It was wrong of me and you didn't deserve it. I hope that you can forgive me."

Kurt looked down at his hand, then around the room, before taking his hand to shake. "All is forgiven."

The room was suddenly abuzz with students apologizing to one another for anything they'd done over the weekend that could've offended someone. Once they were done, they looked at the Dean who was smiling with pride. "Repeat after me: I promise to adhere by the rules of the Academy."

"**I promise to adhere to the rules of the Academy**," they all repeated.

"I promise to uphold the values of the Guardians who came before me."

"**I promise to uphold the values of the Guardians who came before me**."

"Above all, I promise to let the light inside me shine through in the darkest of times."

"**Above all, I promise to let the light inside me****shine through in the darkest of times." **

The room vibrated as the first years spoke their promises, the stars above them shimmering exuberantly. Nathan smiled at them and gestured to the back of the room. "Check in with each instructor for your schedule. Don't memorize it too quickly though, it will change every week for the first month. Once you've all been organized into your groups, you will have a more permanent schedule. Have a good first day, and welcome to the Academy."

* * *

The rest of Monday consisted of the first years finding their way around and talking with two counselors and three instructors. Kurt felt like he was being interviewed for a job. While the counselors wanted to know about his life and his past, the instructors were more interested in his hobbies. It was a bit unnerving, sitting there while they scribbled away in their notebooks. But Kurt did his best not to show how uncomfortable he truly was.

The one instructor that stuck out the most was Brittany, a peculiar young blond girl with a large cat Kurt was certain was watching him. Brittany spent the majority of their time together looking just past Kurt and furiously scribbling in her notebook. Kurt tried to speak once but Brittany gave him a look that made him quickly shut his mouth. Instead he sat and looked around her office, trying his best not to pay attention to her cat. Towards the end of their meeting, she asked him simple questions like what his favorite color was and how he felt about the rain, before setting her pencil and holding the paper out to look at the picture she had drawn.

Brittany glanced up at Kurt then back at her picture. She had seen a similar image before, though the first time she had drawn it she was a small child and it had been for her favorite Guardian. "Kurt, are either of your parents Guardians?"

Kurt's brows rose in surprise. "Yes," he answered quietly. "Or she was one. She died when I was nine."

Kurt decided not to tell her who his mother was. Though he didn't need to. Brittany had a very strong inkling of whom she'd been and Brittany learned at a young age that she was never wrong. She smiled softy at him and turned her picture around to show him. "Tell me everything you see."

Kurt took a good look at the drawing. To anyone else, all they could see would be random shapes and squiggled lines. But to Kurt and Brittany, and to his mother once upon a time, the image was clear.

"A hole, or a cave, in a tree?" Kurt said unsurely.

Brittany nodded. "What else?"

Kurt exhaled slowly. "A pond surrounding it, it's raining, and," he paused, narrowing his eyes on the hole of the tree, "someone sitting inside the hole. It kinds looks like they're hidden behind a curtain so I'm assuming the tree is a Weeping Willow?"

Brittany beamed with pride and nodded. "Would you like to know why I drew this for you?" Kurt nodded. "I'm a distinct and a savant Guardian, Kurt. I see the world differently than most Guardians. My mother was the same, as was her father. I drew this for you because this is the image your spirit wanted me to see. Every student receives a picture from me and usually every picture is different. Only when there's a significant connection between two people are the pictures similar." Brittany tore the page out of her notebook and handed it to Kurt. "Most of my students only see part of the image I draw, not all of it. You, Kurt, can see this in its entirety."

"What does that mean?" Kurt asked bemused. _How could he see only partial or the entire image?_

"It means that I look forward to working with you," Brittany smiled softly. "I'm sure the other students are sharing their pictures. Don't be surprised when they don't make any sense to you." Brittany stood from her seat and walked to the door. She started to turn the knob but stopped and turned back to Kurt. "If you do make sense of the other pictures, be sure to tell me next time I see you. Ok?"

"Ok," Kurt nodded slowly.

Brittany opened the door of her office. "I'll see you soon." Kurt smiled a little and left her office, his picture clutched in his hands.

* * *

Later that evening after dinner, the students began pulling out their drawings from Brittany. Initially, Kurt paid them no mind. He sat in a corner chair with one of his new school books that explained the differences between a group Guardian and distinct while they spoke around him. But as they grew louder and more enthused, Kurt couldn't help but listen in what they were saying. From what he gathered, most of the students only saw a partial image and only a few could see some of the finer details. It seemed as though he was the only one who could see the entire picture.

Kurt set his book aside and pulled his drawing out of his pocket. He glanced around the room to make sure no one was paying attention to him before unfolding the sheet of paper. He ran his fingers over the drawing, his head tilted as the image became clearer. He didn't notice the flower petals floating in the lake the first time, or the butterflies surrounding the tree. Unbeknownst to him, his eyes began to glow the more he focused on the photo and for a moment, he wasn't in the common room but in the tree enjoying the serenity of the rain.

"Hey is that your picture from Brittany?" Sam's voice grabbed Kurt's attention. Kurt nodded and Sam took a seat on the arm, glancing over his shoulder to see. "Whoa, dude. Yours is like, way more intense."

Kurt scrunched his brows. "What do you mean?"

"Well look at mine," Sam handed Kurt his drawing. "I doubt you can see it, but I'm on a bike on this road. But the rest of it is just all these weird symbols, right? I only have few symbols but you have a ton."

Kurt took a good look at Sam's picture. He had no idea what Sam was talking about. He didn't see any sort of weird symbols. He saw Sam on a bike riding down a dirt road, but he also saw the mountains in the background, the wooden post fence on each side of him that went on for miles. He could clearly see the clouds in the sky and the sun beams shining. He could even see the birds and for a second, he was certain he saw their wings flap.

"What does my picture look like to you?" Kurt questioned quietly, his eyes shifting between the two drawings.

Sam shrugged a little. "Just the weird symbols and scribbles and stuff. It kinda looks like a maze. Why? What do you see?"

"Me sitting inside a tree but that's it," Kurt lied.

"Like a tree hollow?" Same asked and Kurt nodded. "That's cool. I wonder why yours has so many more symbols than mine though."

"Yeah," Kurt said just above a whisper, handing Sam his picture. "I wonder."

* * *

Tuesday and Wednesday were what Kurt considered to be normal days. The first years had regular school classes and were given a ridiculous amount of homework that they would need to turn in on Monday. Thursday morning they were in a lecture with Cooper where he discussed the history of their pasts. That's when Kurt learned that Cooper was an Anderson, though he wasn't surprised. Cooper had the same kind of easy going charm that Blaine had and was just as handsome, if not more so. He was also incredibly enthusiastic and captivating. The first years clung to his every word and what should have been a boring four hours, was instead invigorating and exciting. Kurt couldn't wait to learn more from Blaine's brother. He got the feeling that Cooper would become everyone's favorite teacher.

Kurt didn't talk too much to Blaine those first few days. He saw him in passing and Blaine said hi every time, but they were always on their way somewhere or with a group of people so Kurt never got the chance to hang out with him. Kurt didn't mind all that much. While school was mostly exciting, it was also overwhelming and he was still trying to adjust. Plus he saw Brittany several times in the hallway and though they never spoke, she always sent him a smile as though she knew something he didn't. It was a bit unsettling and he didn't think having Blaine around all the time would make things easier.

"Dude, why didn't you tell me that Blaine was like, basically royalty?!" Sam exclaimed as they exited the hall after Cooper's lecture and walked to the cafeteria.

"Because I didn't know," Kurt lied to him. "Besides, what's it matter? Just because his bloodline was one of the first to discover Guardians doesn't mean we should treat him any differently."

"Not _one_ of the firsts, _the first_," Sam corrected. "But you're right, it doesn't matter. Blaine's still a total badass even without being an Anderson." Kurt nodded in agreement as they entered the cafeteria. "Oh hey look, there he is now."

Kurt turned towards where Sam was pointing and his heart plummeted. Blaine was sitting at a table of seniors, his lips locked with a blond boy Kurt had never seen before. He vaguely heard Sam say something about getting them lunch and for Kurt to find them a table but he didn't move. He stood frozen to his spot and watched Blaine smile bashfully as he and the blond parted. His faced burned hot with embarrassment and heartache, when the blond reached over the table to caress Blaine's cheek. And when they stood up and headed out of the cafeteria hand in hand, without ever noticing Kurt standing there, he never felt more invisible.

* * *

"Good morning everyone." The buff blond man standing next to David and Jeff addressed the group of first years later that afternoon. "I'm Coach Symons, these are my assistants, David and Jeff, and this is Physical Training 101." Kurt stood in the far back of the group, his shoulders slumped. He hated gym class, always had, and now he would have to endure an entire afternoon of it. Not to mention that his heart still hurt over seeing his crush with someone else. "Before we get started we must go over a few things," Coach Symons continued. "This is not your average gym class. We are not here to teach you how play basketball and we are not here to torture you, despite what these two may tell you," he nodded towards his smirking assistants.

"Don't listen to him," Jeff pretended to whisper. "He's evil!"

David nodded with wide eyes and Coach Symons could only shake his head, the class chuckling. "We are here to teach you how to engage in combat without ever giving it a second thought. But before we can do that, you must gain endurance." Coach Symons, David, and Jeff walked to the sidelines of the training room. "Make a straight line." The first years scrambled to lineup on the opposite side of them. The room was as large as a football field so there was plenty of space for all one hundred students. Kurt made sure to be somewhere in the middle in hopes of not standing out. "First thing's first, we test your current ability." Kurt internally groaned. "You are to run from there to here ten times," Coach Symons pointed at the line in front of him. "Stop when you're done and meet one of the guys over here. Ready, set, go!"

The first years bolted, all trying to prove that they had what it took to be powerful Guardians; all except for Kurt. He didn't bother racing against his classmates and he had no intention of trying to be the fastest. He had never been physically strong and he knew that he would end up being one of the last to finish the test. _What's the point of trying to win if I know I'm going to lose? _he thought.

Kurt forced himself not to think about the fact that he hated gym or the fact that Blaine had a boyfriend. He ignored the way his calves burned and the voices in his head of his old classmates taunted him for being so weak. Instead he focused on his breathing and finishing his laps.

_10_, Kurt thought with an exhale as he reached the end. He stopped and turned to look at his classmates in hopes he wasn't the last one done and was confused when he saw that they were all still running. _Did I count wrong? _He turned on his heel to run again but stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"What are you doing?"

Kurt turned around to look at David. "Um…running?"

"Did you run ten laps?"

"Yes but," Kurt hesitated, turning to his classmates and noticing two others finish. "I thought I counted wrong. Am I the first one done?"

"Mhm," David nodded then gestured Kurt to follow him. "I was watching. You didn't count wrong."

Kurt followed him to an office where David grabbed a water bottle out of the cooler for him. He didn't need it, he wasn't at all thirsty despite the run. But Kurt took it anyway to sip on. "I wasn't even trying to win," he mumbled to himself.

David still heard him and smiled. "That's why you finished first. What were you thinking about when you ran?"

"I wasn't thinking," Kurt told him. "Or I guess, I was trying not to think about anything. I focused on my breathing and just…"

"Let everything else go?" David guessed and Kurt nodded. "That's what you're supposed to do. As a Guardian you have to be aware of your surroundings without paying attention. You have to stay focused on the task at hand without letting anything distract you. It's going to take time for you to be able to master the skill of paying attention without actually paying attention but I suspect great things from you."

"Really?" Kurt asked surprised. "But I'm so scrawny."

"That has nothing to do with it," David shrugged. "Jeff was your size once upon a time and he's one of the best Guardians I know. It's not all about physicality; it's about your spirit, first and foremost." David looked past him and saw a line of students forming outside the door. "Let's get you weighed in and set you up with a training schedule. I think you could really benefit with some one on one time with Jeff."

* * *

The first years spent the rest of the afternoon getting weighed in and doing the same type of warm-ups they had done in regular school. Kurt expected to be exhausted after all the drills but for reasons he didn't understand, he wasn't at all tired. His fellow students, Sam included, were all gasping for air at the end of each exercise and Kurt felt like he barely broke a sweat.

They took a break for early dinner, everyone but Kurt devouring their food. He sat silent most of time, eating slowly and not once looking up from his plate. He couldn't get the image of Blaine kissing that boy out of his head and he was terrified of catching another glimpse of it.

Blaine was in and out of the cafeteria, grabbing himself a banana and granola bar before leaving. He saw the back of Kurt and immediately noticed his posture. He thought about going over to talk to him, make sure he was ok. But Blaine didn't want to late to his first official training class so he left with the intention of finding Kurt later.

* * *

The first years gathered outside an hour after dinner for their final task of the day. They were separated into groups of five and together they had to finish the obstacle course. If one team member failed, they all failed. If one fell, they all had to restart and work as a team to complete it. Kurt was in the first group and after only a few errors they finished the course.

Kurt sat on the grass away from his classmates as they completed the course. At first he sat leaning back with his eyes closed, the cool breeze soothing him. But it didn't take long for him to get bored and pay closer attention to his surroundings. The land was beautiful, ethereal even, and he couldn't help but feel as though he'd entered a fairytale. What truly caught his attention, however, weren't the decorative statues or the garden nearby; it was a dirt path hidden behind some shrubbery. Kurt tried his hardest to ignore it but the more he tried, the more his curiosity pushed him to look. Before he knew what he was doing, he was walking away from his class and allowing his instincts to lead him.

* * *

Sebastian felt the disturbance of his land as soon as the invisible border had been crossed. He ignored it at first, assuming it was a new student that had lost their way. But their spirit was too powerful to ignore and it made his insides churn violently. He stayed in his spot by the river though and continued to paint the horizon. It had been a long while since he let himself get lost in his art and he refused to stop for some lost kid.

But the spirit grew stronger the closer it got to Sebastian's spot and Sebastian couldn't stop his hands from shaking in anger. He hated when someone disturbed his peace. With an aggravated grunt, Sebastian set his coloring pad and oil pastels down, and got up from his spot with his fireballs ready to scare the crap out of whoever the intruder was.

* * *

Kurt had no idea where he was going but he knew he needed to get there. His fingertips glowed as he ran them over the bushes and trees he passed. It was almost as though he was remembering his way back somewhere and the path his fingers touched were leading him. He could hear the water running in the distance and he figured he was near the lake. He passed a fork in the road and quickly doubled back. He looked down the stone path and gasped when he saw the tree from his picture; his tree. Grinning from ear to ear, he turned onto the path and quickly headed towards it.

Sebastian jumped out from one of the bushes that followed the path, his eyes filled with an emerald green fire that matched the sharp glow emanating from his hands. "What are you doing?!" Sebastian shouted harshly. Kurt screamed and fell back in fear, covering himself with his arms in defense. "Kurt?" Sebastian asked, his tone significantly softer, the fire in his hands and eyes dissipating.

Kurt looked out from his arms, saw that it was Sebastian, and immediately stood, embarrassed by his reaction. "Yes, it's me," he answered shakily.

Sebastian's posture tensed, the realization of why Kurt's spirit had felt so strong hitting him like a ton of bricks. He glanced behind him towards the tree then back at Kurt who was watching him with curious but cautious eyes. "You shouldn't be here," he said with authority. "This is Sorcerer's land. You could get into a lot of trouble."

Sebastian wasn't exactly lying. It wasn't against the rules for Guardians to be on their land. But they were only allowed by invitation and a first year getting caught unsupervised would receive disciplinary action. Not that Sebastian thought Kurt would be punished. As soon as his father found out who Kurt was, he would undoubtedly invite Kurt into their home and share of his experiences with Elizabeth. Sebastian couldn't let that happen. Kurt was still so young. He wasn't ready to know the truth. Sebastian wasn't ready for him to know.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know." Kurt's voice was strong even though he felt apprehensive. There was something about being near Sebastian that made him feel powerful. "Do you usually jump out of bushes with fireballs or am I a special case?" he asked, his voice heavy with sarcasm.

Sebastian tilted his head, a smirk playing at lips. "You could get in trouble for speaking to your Prince like that," he said with a slight tease and Kurt kept his stance firm. "But no, not usually. I wasn't going to harm you, just scare you."

"Well it worked," Kurt muttered, looking past Sebastian to the tree.

"My apologies," Sebastian replied with a sincerity he hadn't felt since Elizabeth's death. He cleared his throat and pushed her memory away. "You should get back to your class."

Kurt looked up at him and stared for a moment before nodding and turning on his heels. Something kept pulling him back, urging him to turn around and continue along his original path. But instead he broke out into a run and headed back to his class, his spirit feeling somber and wistful.

* * *

Kurt stood in the Sunlit Star Auditorium with nine other first years early Friday morning. His head was lowered, his deflated posture displaying his foul mood. They were awaiting their instructor and Kurt felt no enthusiasm being there. He'd been feeling off ever since his run-in with Sebastian, partly due to the fact that he couldn't make it to his tree. But mostly he had no idea why Sebastian's presence had left such an impact on him. He assumed it was because he was bitter that Sebastian spent more time with his mother than he did, though that reasoning didn't exactly feel right. He glanced around the room to see his classmates playing with the star beams and envied them. He wished he could shake the negativity off and enjoy himself.

The double doors suddenly opened and all eyes were on their three instructors; Brittany, Blaine, and Wes. Kurt stood straighter, laced his fingers behind his back, and smiled a little at Blaine when their eyes met. He didn't want Blaine to think that he was anything but happy to be there. Blaine didn't need to be told though. Kurt's smile didn't reach his eyes and Blaine wished he knew what happened to Kurt during the week to damper his spirit so significantly.

"Good morning," Brittany greeted from the front of the room. "Before we start, we would like to officially introduce ourselves. My name is Brittany Pierce."

"My name is Wesley Montgomery," Wes said with a kind smile.

"My name is Blaine Anderson," Blaine said, his eyes shifting to Kurt for only a second.

"And we are the descendants of the founding Guardian families," Brittany spoke with pride.

The students glanced at each other with excitement. According to Cooper, the current three youngest decedents were the strongest their kind had seen in decades and the students were eager to learn from them. Kurt kept his eyes on Blaine though. Since his run in with Sebastian he'd managed to forget about Blaine and the mystery guy. But now with Blaine standing a few feet away, the memory returned fresh.

Brittany took a step forward. "Today, the three of us will be showing you how to get in touch with your spirit. Spirit magic isn't like regular magic. We don't use enchantments or wave wands around hexing people."

"And neither do the sorcerers," Blaine cut in with a smirk. "They do use enchantments but no wands, and if Sebastian hears you say that, he may just turn you into a frog. So be careful."

Kurt bit back a smirk while the others laughed. "Or jump out of nowhere with green fireballs in his hands," he said matter-of-factly.

Blaine raised a brow at him. The only way Kurt could have known that was Sebastian's favorite spell was if he'd had another run-in with the Prince. And if he'd had another run-in with the Prince, Blaine thought, that could explain why he's in such a sour mood. "That's completely true. But he would never harm you." Blaine's voice was smooth, directed at the entire class, but spoken solely for Kurt's benefit. Kurt nodded subtly, not entirely sure if he believed Blaine.

"Well, what kind of magic _do_ we do?" Lily asked.

"It's more of an emotional based magic," Wes told them. "Underneath our emotions, is our spirit well, and in order to harness it, we must be able to control and displace our emotions. It allows us to super focus our bodies."

"How do we do that?" Mercedes wondered.

Brittany smiled at her. "That's what we're going to teach you. Now, find your star and stand underneath it." The students spread out around the room. "Tapping into your emotions is the easy part. It's the controlling that takes time. But for today, all we want you to do is access your spirit well." Blaine and Wes walked to opposite sides of the room while Brittany walked towards the center. "Chances are you've all accessed your spirit well at least once since you've been here and just not known it. The best way to do so is by allowing yourself to follow your instincts."

"Is that when we glow?" a red haired boy named Andrew spoke up excitedly. "Cause I swear I totally saw my eyes glow when I was doing my hair today."

Kurt turned to him. "Why would your eyes glow when you're doing your hair?" he asked with disbelief.

"Because man," Andrew huffed. "I dropped my hair gel and I just like, did this," he moved his hand quickly as if to catch something, "without thinking and when I looked back in the mirror my eyes were totally glowing."

The students looked at Brittany for an answer. Brittany simply smiled and nodded. "That's exactly why we glow. It's also why you're in this group. You guys," she pointed at each student, her eyes lingering on Kurt for a second longer than the rest, "are our first group of the day because so far, you've been the ones to show the most potential. It's too early to tell, but I truly believe that you will be the most powerful of your class."

"But don't let that go to your heads," Wes warned them gently. "Remember, it isn't about being _the_ best, it's about being _your_ best. Holding onto emotions like arrogance can darken the light in your spirit."

"But we'll get to that on another day," Brittany walked to the center of the room. "For now, I want you all to close your eyes, breathe deeply, and don't think."

"Let all your worries, all your doubt, slip away," Wes instructed.

"Let yourself feel, completely and wholeheartedly," Blaine said. "Don't hold back."

"And when you sense an opening, when you feel like you're at the end, jump in," Brittany breathed.

Nothing happened at first. The students attempted to tap into their emotions but they couldn't seem to let go of their thoughts. Wes and Blaine met Brittany in the middle of the room to observe them. One student let go enough to have a flicker of glow but it quickly dissipated and then returned once more. After several minutes, every student had emanated a soft glow, every one except Kurt. Brittany looked at Kurt with sadness. She knew he would be the one with the most trouble. The most powerful always had to work harder to consciously harness their spirit.

"Blaine," Brittany whispered with a nod at Kurt.

Blaine nodded and walked to where Kurt stood. His face was scrunched in concentration and his fists were balled up. "You're thinking too much." Kurt jumped a little, opening his eyes to glare at Blaine, and Blaine smirked. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." Kurt breathed out and closed his eyes again. "You're thinking too much."

"I don't know how not to think," Kurt snapped. "All I ever do is think."

Blaine exhaled. "Let's try something else." Kurt tensed when he felt Blaine get close behind him. He placed his hands on Kurt's balled up fists and gently let his fingertips graze up, then down, his arms. "Relax," Blaine whispered in his ear. "Unclench your fists and just breathe." Kurt ignored the way his heart raced at Blaine's close proximity and slowly let his body relax. "Good. Now, tell me what you're feeling," he said as he removed his hands, still staying close.

"Frustration," Kurt grumbled.

"Alright, grab on to it."

Kurt turned to look at him bemused. "What?"

"Don't question, don't think, just do. Focus on my voice," Blaine said firm yet soft. Kurt huffed in aggravation and turned around. "Grab on to the frustration you feel and pull. It'll feel like you're pulling a cloth." Kurt did as he was told, his face softening and his body straightening. "Feel the tug, keep pulling. When you can't pull anymore, jump."

Blaine stepped away from Kurt and watched him. Kurt continued to pull the cloth, his body feeling heavier the more he dislocated the emotion. When he could no longer pull, when he felt as though he was at the very end, he jumped with no hesitation.

Brittany and Wes looked up as a brilliant white light filled the room. Group guardian's had a blue hue to their glow but distinct Guardians glowed a brilliant white that lit up every dark corner. Brittany beamed with excitement at Kurt's strong and steady glow. Kurt was a distinct, just like his mother had been.

* * *

"I'll see you guys next week," Brittany told the students as they exited the Sunlit Star Auditorium. "Work on getting in touch with your spirit every chance you get." Kurt began to walk past her and she grabbed him by the arm and pulled him away from the group. "Kurt, is there something you'd like to tell me?"

Kurt opened his mouth to speak then quickly shut it. He glanced over at Blaine who was talking to Mercedes then back at Brittany. With a gulp, he nodded. "I can see the other drawings. Like, all of them."

Brittany smiled and bounced on her feet. "I knew you would. Meet me in my office Monday after dinner. I'm going to be your personal mentor."

"Am I different?" Kurt asked her quietly. "Because I feel different."

"You're special, much more than you know. But don't worry about that right now. I'll explain everything on Monday."

Kurt exhaled deeply and nodded. _Just what I needed, to be different from everyone else._

* * *

Blaine was finishing his nightly rounds on the fourth floor when he noticed a light glowing in the library. He walked over to the doors and looked inside. At one of the tables in the corner, Kurt had his books spread out and his head lowered as he took notes. Blaine thought about leaving him to his work, but as time ticked away and Kurt made no move to leave, he decided to go in.

"Kurt?"

Kurt looked up from his homework and offered Blaine a small smile. "Hi, Blaine."

Blaine pulled out the seat across from him and sat down. "I admire your dedication to your school work, but it's getting late. I don't want to write you up for missing curfew," he teased.

Kurt sighed. "I know. I just wanted to get as much done as I could. I've been here since this afternoon."

"Have you eaten?" Blaine asked him. "I didn't see you at dinner." Kurt shook his head. "Well, why don't you finish up and I'll walk with you to the kitchen?"

Kurt finished copying down the sentence he was on and closed his book. "Yeah, ok. I am pretty hungry."

Blaine helped Kurt gather his things and turned off the light in the library before walking out together. Kurt stayed quiet as they walked down the hall and Blaine side eyed him, thinking of the best way to ask Kurt what was wrong. He'd learned enough about Kurt to know that the direct approach wasn't necessarily the best.

"How was your first week?" Blaine asked conversationally.

Kurt shrugged a little. "It was fine, I guess."

"David said you did amazing in physical training," Blaine commented.

"It was probably just a fluke," Kurt muttered.

"I doubt that," Blaine chuckled lightly. "From what I heard, you're a natural."

Kurt glanced at him. "Aren't we all _naturals_? Thus why we're here in the first place."

Blaine nodded and slipped his hands in his pocket. "True. But some of us are more _natural_ than others."

They reached the steps at the end of the hall and descended. "You mean like you?" Kurt said with a slight tease. "You know, being an Anderson and all."

"Hey now," Blaine pouted a little and Kurt found it stupidly adorable. "You said you wouldn't hold that against me. I'm just a normal guy with a lot of family history. That doesn't make me better than anyone else."

"Uh, huh," Kurt giggled. "Tell that to everyone else. Apparently, you're the best Guardian the Academy has seen in decades."

Blaine rolled his eyes. "Let me guess, my brother said that during his lecture?" he asked and Kurt nodded. "Unbelievable. I told him to stop using me as an example. But it doesn't even matter. I don't care what everyone thinks of me, I only care about what my friends think and I would greatly appreciate it if you, _Kurt my friend,_ treated me like the huge dork that I really am."

Kurt sighed dramatically and shook his head. "I don't know if I can do that," he said, a hint of flirtation unintentionally slipping through. "You're Blaine Anderson, the Guardian we should all aspire to be! How could I possibly treat you like you're a nobody when really, you're _the_ somebody."

Blaine laughed to himself and shook his head. They entered the mostly empty cafeteria and headed towards the kitchen. "That is not fair. I didn't ask for this title, ok?" When Kurt didn't respond, Blaine turned and saw that he was no longer following him but frozen in his spot. Blaine followed Kurt's line of vision and saw Sebastian leaving the building. "Kurt, you ok?"

Kurt cleared his throat and shook his head. "I'm fine. I'm actually not that hungry. I should go back to the dorms."

Kurt turned to walk away but Blaine quickly stopped him by the shoulders. "Stop. Sit," he pointed at a nearby table. "You're going to eat and then you're going to tell me what Sebastian did to you."

"He didn't do anything," Kurt protested.

"Sit," Blaine ordered gently and with a sigh Kurt conceded.

Ten minutes later Blaine returned to the table with a plate of food and a bottle of water. He set it down in front of Kurt and took a seat. Kurt smiled appreciatively and picked up his fork. "You don't have to sit with me. I promise I'll eat."

"Nu uh," Blaine shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what happened with Sebastian. I gather it's something to do with fireballs?"

Kurt looked away, unwilling to keep eye contact with Blaine sitting right next to him. "Honestly, he didn't do anything. I wandered off during the obstacle course and ended up on sorcerer's land and he-"

Blaine held up his hand to stop Kurt. "Let me guess, he jumped out at you with his fireballs in hand?" Kurt nodded in embarrassment. "Seb loves to scare the newbies," he said fondly. "He wasn't mean to you or anything though, was he?"

"No, he really wasn't," Kurt assured him. "I just wish I could talk to him, you know, about my mom. But something tells me I shouldn't."

Blaine pressed his lips together. "Your mom's death really affected him," he said cautiously. "Don't take it personally if he doesn't really talk to you."

Kurt said nothing and Blaine didn't push him. He understood the transition couldn't be easy for Kurt. Between his mother's death, his new life, and Sebastian's presence, it was understandable that Kurt would have more trouble adjusting than his peers. Blaine hoped he took the news of being a distinct well. He would have to talk to Brittany and ask her if she was ok with him attending their meeting on Monday.

"Hey, Blaine."

Kurt looked up and his face dropped when he saw the blond Blaine was kissing the other day walking past their table. He glanced at Blaine and his stomach twisted at the sweet smile Blaine was directing at the boy.

Blaine leaned on his fist. "Hey, Colin," he greeted flirtatiously. Colin sent him a wink and continued walking. Kurt watched Blaine suck in his lower lip, keeping an eye on Colin as he made his way out of the cafeteria. Colin looked behind once more, smiling widely at Blaine and giving a coy wave before turning the corner to leave. Kurt lowered his eyes, his face twisting in jealousy when Blaine hummed a small sigh.

Turning back to Kurt, Blaine immediately noticed the scowl on his friend's face. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked with concern.

"Nothing," Kurt answered way too quickly, his eyes staring down at his plate.

Blaine could tell that Kurt was clearly lying. If Sebastian or the memory of his mother was still bothering him he'd have to have a talk with Sebastian, see if he could figure out a way to make it easier for him. "It doesn't seem like nothing. Seriously, what's the matter?"

Kurt huffed and looked up at Blaine, hurt and anger evident. "I just…don't feel like you're obligated to sit with me," he muttered, his tone sad. "You can go hang out with your boyfriend, I don't care."

"Wait, what?" Blaine asked both surprised and confused. "Colin's not my boyfriend, he's just a friend. And I'm not sitting with you out of obligation. I'm sitting with you because _you're_ my friend. Where's all this coming from?"

Kurt looked away, his cheeks tinted pink in embarrassment. "Really? He's not your boyfriend? 'Cause I saw you two." Kurt tried to keep his voice as light and even as he could though his heart was breaking. "Yesterday during lunch. You were so busy kissing and stuff that you walked right past me like I didn't even exist."

"Kurt," Blaine spoke gently.

"And I get it," Kurt continued. "You're older and you're gorgeous." He blushed at his own words. "It's not like I didn't think you wouldn't have a boyfriend. I just…" _didn't expect to see that, or to have you ignore me_. "I haven't been around any other gay guys in school. I've never seen two guys kiss and I just…I don't know, it threw me for a loop."

Blaine sat quiet for a moment, a little angry at himself. He should have known that Kurt would have a crush on him. Hell, he probably did know, but it wasn't until that moment that he let it truly sink it. Because he knew all too well what that meant for Kurt. What it could mean for them. And he couldn't let what happened to him happen to Kurt as well. "Can I tell you a story?" Kurt shrugged a shoulder. "My first year here, there was this guy named Grant. He was a senior, and my mentor, and _the cutest_ boy I had ever seen." Kurt glanced at him with a raised brow. "I had an embarrassingly large crush on him. He was tall and elegant and sweet, and I was just head over heels for him. And I was this awkward goofy kid that kept tripping over his own feet whenever he was around. You can ask the guys, it was bad."

"Ok, and?" Kurt questioned, hiding his embarrassment in anger.

"And one time, I saw him kissing another guy, only it was…" Blaine paused, looking for the right words. "It was a bit more intense than what you saw, and I was devastated. I thought my life was over."

"Just because you saw your crush kiss someone else? That's a bit dramatic, don't you think?" Kurt tried to tease, looking everywhere but Blaine.

"I've always had a flare for the dramatics," Blaine smirked.

Kurt rolled his eyes, the tiniest of smirks on his lips. "So, then what happened?"

"Well, it started with me avoiding him at all cost and then I got really angry and fought with him on everything during our lessons. It got to the point where Cooper, who was his mentor, had to step in. Needless to say I was mortified. There's nothing quite like having your older brother give you the, _you're not old enough to date_, talk." Blaine rolled his eyes at the memory. Cooper was a great teacher and Guardian; there was no doubt about that. But pep talks were never his forte. "Then, Grant had a talk with me about how I was too young for him, which I already knew but ignored, and he stopped being my mentor because he didn't think it was a good idea considering the circumstances. So not only did I lose a friend, but I lost my mentor."

Kurt finally met Blaine's gaze with sad eyes. "What the point of this story, Blaine?" he asked quietly.

Blaine reached over and took Kurt's hands into his own. "The point is, that I really care about you, you're my friend, and sometimes when you're 13 friendship can get confused for something else. But I would hate for something like this to mess that up. Grant and I are on good terms now, but it took us a long time to get there. I don't want that to happen to us."

"It won't," Kurt assured him, his eyes wide.

Blaine smiled a little and let go of Kurt's hands. "Good. You know, I had to remind myself all the time that I was only 13 and that I still had so much growing to do, as a person and as a Guardian. And now I have remind myself that _you_ are only 13, and despite how easy it is for us to be friends, I'm probably going to do or say things that I shouldn't. But I want you to be honest about how you feel. And I want you know that I would never intentionally hurt you or anger you. I'm just not used to having a friend who's so much younger."

"I'm not _that_ much younger," Kurt grumbled.

"Even so," Blaine spoke softly. "I'm sorry if seeing me with Colin made you uncomfortable and I'm sorry I didn't say hi. Next time, be sure to get my attention. Jump up and down flailing your arms if you have to," he joked and Kurt laughed a little. "I will come talk to you, promise. Alright?"

"Alright," Kurt sighed. "I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to be mad at you. And I wasn't, not really," he assured Blaine. "I just hadn't expected it and I tend to hold on to things until I snap."

"I've noticed," Blaine teased and Kurt scowled at him with pout, making Blaine laugh. "But it's fine, really. No harm done."

Kurt smiled up at him and nodded, turning back to his food. "So, if Colin isn't your boyfriend, then what is he? Or do you just go around kissing all the super cute guys for no reason?"

Blaine chuckled. "He is pretty cute, huh?" he asked and Kurt nodded, unable to deny it. "But no, I don't go kissing all the cute guys. Colin and I are friends who just happen to kiss sometimes."

"Do you want him to be your boyfriend?" Kurt asked curiously.

"I don't know yet," Blaine answered honestly. "We all have a lot going on this year as seniors so I don't know if having a boyfriend is something I should focus on right now. But if I do, you'll be the first to know. No more surprises."

Kurt smiled a little and nodded. "Ok." He hadn't realized how upset he was until after he snapped at Blaine. He was grateful that Blaine had taken it so well. Kurt tended to push people away and even though Blaine was older, Kurt knew he was someone he wanted to have in his life, no matter the type of relationship.

* * *

Kurt tossed and turned for hours despite his exhaustion. While the physical activities from the previous day hadn't worn him out like he thought it would, the mental activities from today were draining. Between the spirit class, practicing on his own, and the work load, his mind was desperate for rest. He'd been sleeping surprisingly well during the week, but tonight, no matter how badly he wished it, sleep eluded him. And all because he couldn't stop thinking about the Weeping Willow.

He couldn't help but wonder why Sebastian chose that moment to jump out at him. He couldn't help but believe that Sebastian had kept him away on purpose. Sure, he acted as though he hadn't realized that it had been Kurt. But Sebastian was a very powerful sorcerer from what Blaine had told him and Kurt was having a difficult time believing that Sebastian didn't know who he was before scaring him.

He turned from his back and onto his side, sighing heavily. It was already past midnight. He should have been fast asleep. He could hear Sam snoring lightly in the bed beside him and he both envied Sam and hated him for it. He closed his eyes and forced all of his thoughts away. He could feel himself dozing off, but as soon as he reached the point of falling into a peaceful slumber, his eyes shot open and he was alert. He felt as though his spirit was intentionally keeping him awake and suddenly he knew exactly why. _Screw it_, he thought and sat up in bed. _Everyone keeps telling me to stop thinking and follow my instincts. Well fine, follow them it is_. Quietly and quickly, Kurt slipped his shoes on, grabbed his picture from Brittany, and snuck out of his room. He was going to find his tree, Sebastian be damned.

* * *

He had no idea how he was able to sneak out of a school full of Guardians. But before Kurt knew it, he was on the path that led straight to the Weeping Willow. His body was thrumming with adrenaline. He had never been one to break the rules and the fact that he was on sorcerer land so late at night was terrifyingly thrilling. He didn't know what would happen by going to the tree, but he needed to find out.

Kurt stood at the base and looked up, his jaw going slack. The tree was much larger than he originally thought. If he focused enough he could see the hollow, but walking around the trunk, he could see no low branches or any sort of indication on how to climb it.

"I thought you might be back."

Kurt whipped his head around at the sound of the voice. "Sebastian?" The sorcerer stepped out of the shadows, hands pushed deep in his pocket. "I know I shouldn't be here. I just…"

"You just?" Sebastian questioned.

Kurt exhaled and straightened his shoulders. "I needed to see this tree for myself."

"Why?"

Kurt unfolded the picture and handed it to Sebastian. "I don't know if you can see anything other than the symbols, but Brittany drew this for me. It's me, sitting inside that hollow," he pointed up.

Sebastian looked at the picture. He learned how to decipher Guardian coding at a young age so he could see the drawing clearly. It was almost identical to the one Brittany had drawn for Elizabeth. He folded the paper and handed it back to Kurt before walking past him to the trunk. He looked up at the hollow and sighed. "Your mother spent a lot time on our land," he spoke quietly.

"My mother?" Kurt's voice cracked.

Sebastian turned to him and nodded. "This was her tree. She spent a good portion of her off time up there."

"I don't…I don't understand. Is that why I feel so drawn to it?" Kurt wondered, the desperation to know of his mother clear in his voice.

Sebastian's brows furrowed. He didn't know what he was supposed to tell the boy. Was it too soon to tell Kurt that he was drawn to it because his mother would always be a part of him? How was Sebastian supposed to explain that his father put a spell on her so that her spirit would connect with her son's when she died? He couldn't tell Kurt any of that. Not yet. Neither of them were ready for him to know. "Yes, that's why," Sebastian said instead with a curt nod.

Kurt walked over to the tree. "Do you know how to get up there? Is there some kind of secret Guardian way?"

Sebastian smirked a little. "Sort of. She was able to access it because of her connection to my father. I'm sure you'd be able to do the same."

"How?" Kurt asked bemused. "What do you mean?"

"Place your hand on the trunk," Sebastian replied, taking a few steps back. "Clear your mind. Let yourself feel the tree's life force."

Kurt looked at Sebastian, unable to read his expression. He turned towards the tree, placed his hand on the trunk, and waited. A moment passed where the world seemed eerily still. Then Kurt felt it, the tree's life forces rippling up from its roots. An oval shaped entry way glowed on the trunk and the tree opened for Kurt.

"Whoa," Kurt breathed.

"I believe that once you head inside the door will close and when you're ready to leave it'll reopen for you," Sebastian said in a pained voice. Kurt turned to him. "If anyone asks, I've given you permission to be here."

"Thank you," Kurt spoke just above a whisper.

He turned to the tree and stepped inside. Just like Sebastian said, the door behind him disappeared. There was a staircase made of the tree's roots that led up, the walls lined with green lights. He made his way cautiously, his breath catching when he reached the top. The circular room had clearly been lived in. There was a carpet spread on the floor, green lights hanging from the ceiling, and book shelves stacked with books and papers. There was even a couch and a folded up blanket.

Kurt ran out of the hollow to the small porch like branches. "Sebastian?" he called out but received no response. "Your highness?" he tried, but heard nothing but silence. With a sigh, he walked back in with every intention to look through everything. He hoped it would give him a better idea of who his mother was.

* * *

Sebastian leaned back on a nearby Oak tree, his hand clutching his heart as he tried to calm down. He'd done so much better in recent years. His panic attacks were few and far between and he finally felt like he was moving past Elizabeth's death. But now with Kurt around, he felt like a heartbroken child all over again.

"_Please don't go," Sebastian begged her, tears streaming down his cheeks. "They're too dangerous! You'll get hurt!"_

_Elizabeth knelt down and took Sebastian's hands into her own. "That is exactly why I must go," she reached for his face and wiped the tears. "I made vow to protect you and your family, Bastian, and I must see it through."_

"_But what about your vow to Kurt?" Sebastian asked brokenly. "He needs his mom. What if something happens to you?"_

"_Nothing is going to happen to me, sweetheart."_

"_You don't know that," Sebastian said stubbornly. _

_Elizabeth smiled softly. "You're right, I don't. But I could never forgive myself if I stayed behind and something happened to the others."_

"_Would Kurt forgive you for leaving him?" Sebastian asked angrily. _

"_In time, yes," Elizabeth told him. "Once he's older and he has his own royal to protect, he'll forgive me."_

_Sebastian threw his arms around her neck. "I don't want you to go. He needs you. I need you. Please don't go."_

"_Bastian."_

"_Promise you'll come back?" Sebastian pulled away, his eyes pleading. _

"_You know I can't promise that," Elizabeth said with a twinge of guilt. "But will you make me a promise?" Sebastian nodded eagerly. "If something happens and I don't return, promise me you'll watch out for Kurt when he arrives at the Academy. He's always wanted a big brother and I could never give him that. Maybe you could be his big__brother."_

_Sebastian gulped and nodded. "I promise."_

Sebastian glanced back at the Weeping Willow. _I never should've made that promise, _he thought. _It's one that I could never keep. _

* * *

A/N: I hope you liked it. See ya next time. :)


End file.
